The Fulton Garage and Plymouth Dealership was one of Rifle’s first three auto sales and service properties when automobiles changed society and business forever in the 1920’s and 30’s.

The second story of the building housed Rifle’s sole dentist for over 20 years. Many long time Rifle residents remember their first trip to the dentist which was Dr. Royal Smith who later owned the building with Raymond Monahan, an area accountant. The patient chair used in his office is now in the Rifle Creek Heritage Museum.

After auto sales and service businesses moved off 3rd Street. The at-grade and rear space of the property became Montgomery Ward’s department store and anchored the west end of Downtown 3rd Street.

After his discharge in WW I, Bill Fulton became partners with the already existing auto sales and service business owner and had many Rifle residents as customers and employees. Many high school boys worked there as mechanics. Bill never owned the building, always leasing from Arthur Bunn of Rifle.

Architecture

The property first appears on the Sanborn maps on May of 1939 and is labeled as Auto Sales and Service. The year of construction was 1928. Because it was designed for Auto Sales and service, there was a drive-thru door fronting 3rd Street in the middle of the building providing access to the rear bowstring truss building for maintenance. The second level of the 3rd Street fronting portion of the structure was originally offices, where the dental area existed but was later converted to three residential dwellings. The large storefront glass was removed sometime in the last 50 to 60 years and replaced with brick