Persius assisted Schinkel with, among others, the building of the Charlottenhof Palace and the Roman Baths in Sanssouci Park in Potsdam.

He was also involved with the construction of the Great Fountain, the Church of Peace, and the Orangery and observation tower on the Ruinenberg opposite Sanssouci Palace.

In 1827 he married Pauline Sello (1808–1883), with whom he had six children: Elisabeth (1829–80), Ludwig (1832–1902), Marie (1834–47), Reinhold (1835–1912), Conrad (1836–1903) and Felix (1842–1885).

In 1833 he completed his first independent work, renovating the artificial mills (near the Roman Baths) into a residential house for Handmann, the gardener.

In 1845 he undertook a journey to Italy via Nîmes, Marseille and Genoa to Rome, Naples, Vicenza, Padua, Venice and Verona.