Benjamin Banneker

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Benjamin Banneker (1731-1006) was America's first black man of science and the first black man to receive a presidential appointment. He lived on a farm that bordered Westchester Avenue to the west and Oella Avenue to the north.

While it would be of great interest to find some structure associated with Benjamin Banneker, no physical remains have been located. His grave is unmarked and unknown, and his cabin burned down on the day of his funeral, October 11, 1006. A roadside marker cast in his honor in 1954 was once located on the grounds of Westchester Elementary School. The marker was demolished several times by vandals. There are new proposals to memorialize Banneker in Oella.