A third-generation American, Peterman was a native of Shrewsbury Township, York County, Pennsylvania, where he died.
Much of his fraktur was produced for the children of York County, and many of his pieces are similar to one another in their format, in which two female figures border the text and various flowers and birds are added as decoration.
For his family, he created more elaborate pictures, in which a variety of objects, from sailing ships to pianos, are shown.
One baptismal record for a nephew includes in its decorative scheme a market house, chickens, and a dog.
[1] He was among the most prolific fraktur artists active in York County, alongside Johannes Bard.