Embedded Files
This fire-blackened fire extinguisher came from the charred remains of Hank Dietle’s Tavern, a historic bar at 11010 Rockville Pike. On February 14, 2018, the century-old building was badly damaged by an overnight fire, attributed to a cigarette cast into a planter on the four-column front porch. The extinguisher was removed, with permission, by Montgomery History’s executive director, Matthew Logan. It is an all-purpose ABC extinguisher suitable for Class A (common combustibles), Class B (liquids and gas), and Class C (electrical) fires.
The tavern structure was built in 1916 as Offutt’s General Store, with two gasoline pumps in front; Edward Offutt and his family lived in a house next door. It is recognized as the county’s first bar, operating under Class D beer and wine license No. 001 issued after the repeal of prohibition in 1933. Ownership passed to Hank Dietle in the 1950s. Successive owners, operating what has been called a dive bar or the last roadhouse in suburbia, retained the name and its traditions.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse