Peter De Haven was born in Pennsylvania in 1741. He was married to Abigail West in 1764 in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Peter took the Oath of Allegiance to the Continental Congress on June 15, 1778. In 1781, he served as a private under Captain Andrew Burkholder, Captain Alexander Quarrier, and Captain Isaiah Davis under Colonel William Will, 3rd Regiment, Philadelphia Co. Militia. He also served under Captain John Campbell and under Major Nichola of the City Guards.

After the War ended, Peter and Abigail moved their family to Back Creek Valley, Virginia at the head of the fertile Shenandoah Valley. Peter was a stonemason and may have been seeking employment where new houses and settlements were being constructed. Eight children were born to the couple. In 1910, a published atlas showed a very small town named Dehaven in northern Frederick County, Virginia but the town no longer exists.
Peter died in 1822 and Abigail pre-deceased him in 1818. They are buried in the Friend’s Cemetery, Gainesboro, Virginia.