The small burial ground is located on either side of the tall front tower of St. Peter's Church. The two areas are contained by iron fences set on granite curbing with granite posts. The yard to the north of the church tower has three rows of markers, each containing 8-10 stones. The south burial ground is laid out in two rows, the one closest to the church contains eight stones while the other, shorter due to the curve of the fence, has five.

St. Peter Street is one of the oldest streets in Salem. It was known as the lane to the North River in 1660 and was later known as Prison Lane because the jail in use during the witchcraft trials was located near what is now the corner of St. Peter and Federal Streets. Prison Lane was renamed St. Peter Street in 1738, shortly after the first St. Peters Church was constructed in 1733/4. The present Church was constructed in 1833.

According to the history of St. Peter's Church, the Chapel, which was built in 1871, was constructed directly over the old Churchyard. The last burials in the Churchyard took place in 1860. As a result of the chapel construction some of the tombs were moved and the slabs were placed against the inside chapel walls. Many of the gravestones were removed to the front of the Church where they joined the stones of others who are actually buried there. In addition to the burials under the Chapel floor and those in the front of the Church, it is estimated that fifty-five tombs are located directly under the Church itself.

As of 1998 there were approximately 40 headstones.

The Massachusetts Historical Commission refers to this cemetery in MACRIS as SAL.808 Saint Peter's Church Burying Ground.

This cemetery is referred to as GR13 Hospital Burying Ground, Salem in the "Vital Records of Salem Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849."