The Woman In the Iron Coffin

In October 2011, Rev. Kimberly L. Detherage, Pastor of St. Mark AME Church in Jackson Heights, New York, received a life-altering phone call. During excavation for a construction project on the church’s original site—located at 90-15 Corona Avenue in Elmhurst (formerly Union Avenue in the historic village of Newtown, Queens)—a human body had been discovered. The construction crew, alarmed by the condition of the remains, immediately contacted authorities, fearing a possible homicide.

What they had uncovered, however, was not a crime scene, but a time capsule. The body was remarkably intact—mummified, fully clothed, and encased in a metal object that turned out to be an iron coffin, a burial innovation from the mid-19th century. After examination by the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and testing conducted in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it was determined that the woman had died of smallpox in 1850. She was a free Black woman in her late 20s to early 30s, buried in what had once been the cemetery of the original St. Mark AME Church. Her resting place had been forgotten, her identity lost to time—until now.

Initially referred to simply as “the remains” or “the mummy,” she was respectfully renamed by the Historical Committee of St. Mark AME Church as the Iron Coffin Lady. Her rediscovery brought attention to the deep African American roots of the Newtown community and the hidden histories beneath modern-day Queens.

Through forensic research and historical records, including the 1850 U.S. Census of New York City, funeral and burial specialist Scott Warnasch concluded that the woman was likely Martha Peterson, a 26-year-old African American woman living in New York City at the time of her death. She was the daughter of John and Jane Peterson, both prominent leaders in Newtown’s African American community. Further investigation revealed that Martha lived with William Raymond, the brother-in-law, neighbor, and business associate of Almond Dunbar Fisk—the inventor of the iron coffin that had preserved her so well. This connection helped confirm her identity and place in history.

In 2016, after years of research and remembrance, Martha Peterson was given a proper burial by the congregation of St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church of Jackson Heights, reclaiming her dignity and returning her to the community that had once embraced her.

The story of the Iron Coffin Lady is a powerful reflection of the larger history of Black resilience and autonomy in Newtown, Queens. In 1827, New York State enacted full emancipation of enslaved people. Just one year later, in 1828, four free Black men purchased land at 90-15 Union Avenue and established the United African Society. This organization provided spiritual fellowship and mutual aid for the growing number of free African Americans in the area.

By 1906, the United African Society had joined with the African Methodist Episcopal Church—the first independent Black Christian denomination in the United States—to officially become St. Mark AME Church. It served, and continues to serve, as a cornerstone of faith, activism, and community in Queens.

During the early 19th century, Newtown (now Elmhurst) was home to a thriving African American population. These residents included farmers, laborers, craftspeople, abolitionists, and entrepreneurs. They built churches, schools, mutual aid societies, and cemeteries—spaces created by and for Black people who were often excluded from white-dominated institutions. The burial ground that once lay beneath the current streets of Elmhurst was one such sacred space.

On October 3, 2018, PBS aired a compelling episode of Secrets of the Dead titled “The Woman in the Iron Coffin,” detailing Martha Peterson’s life, death, and rediscovery. A pre-screening was hosted the night before at St. Mark AME Church in Jackson Heights in partnership with WNET and Weeksville Heritage Center. The documentary is available for viewing on the PBS website and can also be purchased on DVD.

Rev. Detherage also shared the story in a powerful interview with Professor Ron Daniels on Vantage Point, WBAI Radio (99.5 FM), which can be accessed at WBAI.org.

Today, the story of the Iron Coffin Lady lives on as a profound reminder of the rich and enduring legacy of African Americans in Queens—a history buried but never forgotten.