The land on which The Flaming Pit is located was owned during much of the 19th century by the Tayloe family and also Elizabeth Hutton Caulfield. Elizabeth was the daughter of William Rich Hutton, renowned civil engineer who designed the C&O Canal, Western Maryland Railroad, and the Metropolitan Branch.
From 1912 to 1930, Charles Eader operated his 40-acre farm from this house, raising livestock. In 1931, Eader sold the building, with 4 acres, to Isaac and Athusa Creed; they defaulted, and the property was auctioned on September 8, 1934. An advertisement described the property as, "a stone dwelling house containing a large room adapted for a tea house or other similar use and other small rooms on the ground floor. The large room contains a large and attractive fire place. There is a well under the porch with electric pump inside the house".
From 1938 to 1948, the property was owned by Leslie E. (Ed) Johnson, who operated "Johnson's Friendly Tavern" here. The stone gas station provided two pumps, the tavern had three little tables on the enclosed front porch. Ed Johnson was well known for the fact that he was the brother of the famed Washington pitcher Walter "Big Train" Johnson.
Ed Johnson's Establishment was replaced by the "Friendly Tavern", and later by Tom Musser's "BBQ Pit". Buck Floyd operated the "Fools Three" from 1969 to 1974; later there was an Italian restaurant here.
Although much of the building is new, and the old has been altered, the stone fireplace and arches in the bar room and the old second story rear windows remind one of the building's colorful history and its location on the "Great Road" at Great Seneca Creek
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The Flaming Pit Restaurant
18701 North Frederick Road
(MD 355)
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20879
Phone: (301) 977-0700
