Peters Place

between Webster Avenue and Vireo Avenue

Peters Place, located just across from Woodlawn Cemetery, is named for Reverend Absalom Peters, a theologian and poet considered to be the “Father of Woodlawn Cemetery.” Peters was responsible for championing and campaigning for a non-sectarian, rural cemetery in The Bronx, which, he was determined would become the country’s most beautiful cemetery. Peters appealed to individuals with a sense of civic pride to support the endeavor, and assembled a committee of eight prominent New York City residents to be its first trustees. Born in 1793 in New Hampshire, he attended Dartmouth College and Princeton Theological Seminary. Peters Place is a subtle reminder of Peters’ crucial role in the establishment and development of the cemetery, which ultimately had an immense impact on The Bronx.

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