06/28/2026
What fire could not do, disrepair and time did.
Last week a building in downtown Richmond had to be taken down, before it collapsed. It last housed the business of Heartland Hot Rods.
A history of the building (s).
In Nov. 1910 George Bowen had a brick building put up on his lot in Richmond. The building was flanked by wood frame buildings. To the west was a single story barbershop and a wood two story building housing a restaurant on the ground floor and living quarters upstairs. To the east were also wood frame buildings an undertakers storage building, an empty storage shed, Mrs. Werntz milliner and notion store and the bank which was a wood frame building covered in sheet metal.
In the early morning hours of Feb. 16, 1911 a fire broke out in empty shed to the east. Flames quickly spread to the undertaker’s building and the milliner shop and the bank. Those four buildings were soon lost to the flames. Bowen’s brick building suffered little damage and in March was completed and ready for business. He had a furniture store on the ground floor in the front and a harness shop in the back. Over the Bowen store were the offices of Dr. D. H. Smith, physician and Dr. W. F. Whitmer, veterinary.
On the morning of April 29, 1914 fire once again struck. However, this morning it was within the building itself and almost totally destroyed it. Bowen lost his furniture and harness stock as well as all his machinery. Dr. smith lost everything including his X-ray machine. About the only thing that was saved was Dr. Whitmer’s desk and the brick walls.
By August the building was once again ready for occupancy. Bowen had his harness business on the lower floor and the doctors were back in their offices upstairs. In Nov. 1914 Bowen sold his business to Ross Spencer. Spencer would run a harness shop and shoe repair business.
Feb. 1916 fire once again would strike. This time to the west, both the restaurant and barbershop, were destroyed. Some how Spencer’s building escaped being damaged. Guy Price purchased the lots 1919. He built the “Price Ford” dealership (later the CO-OP hardware store). He put a filling station in the front with the tank under the sidewalk. I mention this because on May 27, 1922 that tank exploded tearing up the sidewalk, but doing no other damage. That old brick building had survived again.
In 1923 a store was built on the east side of Spencer’s building by Ross Gault. In 1925 George C. Dietrich bought him out. Sometime after Dr Smith’s death in 1937 Dietrich purchased the building, in the late 30’s or early 40’s. He opened up the wall between the two buildings making them one.
The Dietrich’s were in business here till 1969 when they sold the business to Art and Phyllis Rossman. The Rossman’s made numerous upgrades. They sold it to George (Bud) and Helen Feuerborn who then operated the store and finally selling it to the Burkdoll Bros. as a meat market and grocery.
In April 1986 a lightning strike set the building ablaze once again. The damage was significant, but the building survived yet again. Mark Stevenson purchased the building after the fire, he fixed it up and in 1987 moved his auto body shop in. He operated here till 2003 when he relocated on the highway and Heartland Hot Rods purchased it.
Thank you Connie Weber for the demo pictures.
If you would like to donate to the museum.
Please send checks to: Richmond Community Museum, P.O. Box 284, Richmond, KS. 66080.
Thank you for your continued support.
