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(Lisa Pfueller Davidson and Catherine C. Lavoie)
To honor the memory and interpret the life of free African American almanac author, surveyor, farmer, and naturalist Benjamin Banneker, the county acquired the farmland purchased by his parents in 1737, and a replica of the log cabin in which Banneker lived much of his life was reconstructed by Oak Grove Restorations. Based on historical and archaeological investigations, the one-room cabin was built of old hewn chestnut logs with a stone foundation and a stone and brick end chimney. It has been sparsely furnished in a manner indicative of the era to reflect Banneker’s humble circumstances. It was on this site that Banneker, largely self-taught, wrote his almanacs and famously corresponded with Thomas Jefferson on issues of slavery and racial equality. An accomplished mathematician, Banneker also undertook astrological observations and in 1791 was part of the survey team for the new federal city.
The hundred-acre Banneker farm was later acquired by Joshua Hynes, who built an imposing five-bay house of local ashlar granite. Its stone construction and subtle Greek Revival details, including a third half-story of frieze-band windows, sets it apart from other area farmhouses.