Evening star., 1931-12-06

between Virginia and Maryland horses" The
Virginia horse won
Col. Tayloe bought the site of the Octagon
from Benjamin Stoddart, relative after it is
said conference with Gen. Washington. He
began the erection of the building in 1913, from
plans by DR.. william Thornton, and took pos
session of it in 1900, and died there March %,
1928. After the burning Of the White House
by the British, in 1914 it became the tenn
porary home of President Madison, and it was
in the circular room on the second floor over
the entrance that the treaty of Ghent
signed, February 1s, 1915.
The owner of the Octagon was a vestryman
Of Old st. Johns at Sixteenth and H streets,
and when the effects of the Lunenburg Parish
Church. in Richmond County, Va, were put up
for sale, he purchased the communion service
of silver to prevent its desecration for secular
use and presented it to the Washington church.
DR. JOHN B. BLAKE, who succeeded to the
- Office of president of the Association of
Oldest Inhabitants on the death Of Ben jamn
Ogle Tayloe, was elected to that Office April l.
1858. He was the son of DR.. James H. Blake,
mayor Of the city of Washington from 1913 to
1917, and was by birth a Virginian, being born
in Colchester, in that State, August IL, 1900.
Though he graduated from the University of
Maryland in 1924 with the degree Of M. D., yet
told he never practiced medicine but
seems to have preferred public Office instead.
However, he did manifest a keen interest in
the profession and when the Medical Society
Of the District of Columbia was re-estabished
under its second charter, his name appears as
one of the incorporators.
AS a Government official he was at one
time connected with the office of the register
Of the Treasury, and subsequently became
commissioner of Public Buildings during the
administrations Of Presidents Pierce and
Board of Public Works which had so much to
do with putting Washington in fair way to
become great city. He was also secretary
OF the Washington National Monument Society,"
president of the National Metropolitan Bank
and National Metropolitan Fire Insurance Co.
At the funeral OF DR.. Blakes father, which
occurred July 80, 181e Roger c. Weightman
later mayor Of the city, one of his pail
bearers, and when Mayor Weightman was
buried February 5, 1876, John B. Blake served
as pallbearer for his fathers old friend as a
representative of the Association of Oldest
Inhabitants
DR.. John B. Blake died October 2s, 1881
\ dAJ S. JENKIN THOMAS succeeded Dr.
Blake as president Of the association. He
was notary public and justice OF the peace
IN Georgetown, and was succeeded In the ofhce
of president of the association by George A.
Bohrer, whose death occurred November 81,
1886 OF Mr.. Bohrer, The Star, on the day
following his death, said:
"Mr. George A. Bohrer, one of oldest
citizens, died about O'Clock Saturday after
noon at his residence in East Washington, in
the seventy year of his age, after an illness
OF several months, which he bore with patience
and resignation. The funeral will take place
from the Metropolitan Presbyterian Church
tomorrow afternoon. Mr. Bohrer was born in
West Washington January 1, 1916, and from
the age of to IA years he attended the schools
of that town. After two years spent in George
town College he, on May ], 1881, entered the
drug business as clerk, and continued therein
till May 10, 1885, when, under the admins
tration Of President Jackson, he was appointed
a clerk in the Post Office Department. This
position he filled until July !, 1849, when he
was removed for political reasons. He then
engaged in the wood coal and grocery busi-