The churchyard contains many headstones which date back over 300 years. To the west of the church, behind the wall, can be found the graves of many slaves. Most of the tombs are small, oblong blocks of limestone with the initials of the dead scratched into the rock. Notable graves include those of Midshipman Dale and of Govenor Sir Richard Sharples. Next to the back entrance of the church is a 500-year-old cedar tree. The church bell used to hang from one of its branches. St. Peter's is the oldest continually used Anglican Church in the Western Hemisphere. The original church, wooden, with a palmetto leaf thatch, was built on this site in 1612. A more permanent stone structure was built in 1619, and the present church was built in 1713 with a tower added in 1814. Until the building of the State House, it was the colony's only public meeting place, and here was held the first assize, in 1616. Visit the vestry to see the fine collection of communion silver, and note the cedar alter table and dole cupboard.