Peters, Benjamin "Ben" (?-2018)

Benjamin “Ben” Peters was a beloved Black barber and small-business owner in Englewood, New Jersey, whose shop — Ben’s Barbershop — became a neighborhood institution for more than half a century. Originally from South Carolina, Peters moved to Englewood in the 1950s and opened his barbershop around 1957. Over the decades, Ben’s Barbershop grew into far more than a place to get a haircut; it became an informal community gathering space where men and boys and women and girls from the neighborhood came not only for grooming but also for conversation, mentorship, and connection. As one of Englewood’s long-standing Black-owned businesses, the shop played an important role in the social and economic fabric of the city, especially during an era when such establishments served as anchors of stability and pride within African-American communities. Peters operated the shop for roughly fifty years before retiring and later relocating to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He passed away on December 25, 2018, at the age of 86. His legacy endures through the memories of generations of Englewood residents and through local historical projects that continue to document and honor the everyday institutions — like Ben’s Barbershop — that helped shape community life.

Ben Peters had many famous clientele including Roosevelt Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, Eddie Murphy, Wilson Pickett, George Benson, J. J. Johnson, and George Powell.

"After 45 years, barber trimming his schedule." The Record, 24 Apr. 2002, p.9.

"Benjamin Peters in the New Jersey, U.S., Marriage Index, 1901-2016." Ancestry.

"Benjamin E. Peters." The Record, 20 Jan. 2019, p.L7.

South Carolina

2018-12-25

"After 45 years, barber trimming his schedule." The Record, 24 Apr. 2002, p.9.