Biography:

As an importer of commodities from his native Holland, John Bohlen became one of Philadelphia's most prominent merchants at the turn of the nineteenth century.  Bohlen also served as one of the Directors of the Bank of the United States and occupied the same social circles as other merantile elites, such as Stephen Girard.  At the time of his death, Bohlen was one of only eleven Philadelphians whose personal estates exceeded one million dollars in value.