Susan Douglas is afraid local history will be lost on younger generations.

But it's not just an age thing; she would like to see everyone living in her neighborhood develop a greater appreciation for those who helped make Roxborough what it is today.

Douglas is not alone in her quest. The history buff joined with fellow members of the Roxborough Manayunk Wissahickon Historical Society to create a day designed to induce a sense of pride among those residing in the community.

"The purpose really is to help people remember who's here," Douglas said, referring to Leverington Cemetery on Ridge Avenue in central Roxborough. "Literally, think of it in terms of silent voices."

Douglas was speaking of the upcoming event titled "Ordinary People, Extraordinary Citizens," something the historical society is hoping will be an annual program focusing on the various generations now represented at the burial grounds.

"We still have stories," Douglas said during a recent Sunday afternoon stroll around the historic cemetery.

Leverington has "residents" dating all the way back to the 1670s. There is a clear division within the property that marks the transition from Colonial to Victorian to Edwardian eras. The older headstones are thinner and lighter, surely reflective of the fact that they had to be placed in the ground by hand. The newer portion of the cemetery, from 1857 on forward, is complete with newer, thicker headstones and obelisks, on which names, birth and death dates, and epitaphs are more easily discernable.

The purpose of the upcoming event, Douglas said, is to educate residents and inspire new enthusiasm for local history. After all, many of the folks buried there made some impact on the local community.

"There are people here who were integral to the community," Douglas said. "They were very important to building up and passing on an economically-thriving community."

The program, scheduled for Nov. 15 from 1:30 to 3 p.m., will include music from yesteryear, period costumes, Revolutionary War and Civil War re-enactments, and what Douglas said are refreshments at "old-fashioned prices."

The event will also be educational, with information available on area veterans' organizations, the historical society and other local groups.

"It really is a community event," said historical society president Karen Sears. "The first of many."

Re-enactors will hail from the likes of Towne Playhouse in Roxborough, and Temple University's graduate drama program. Those who will be portrayed are folks who lived in the area, and have been credited with transforming the neighborhood.

Music will include opera pieces dating from the 20th century and earlier. There will even be performances by an all-male a cappella group, and a trumpet player from the Roxborough Community Orchestra.

When the historical society first came up with the idea for the envisioned annual program, it had to clear things with Ray Jones Jr., a second-generation caretaker at Leverington Cemetery. The group ran into no problems whatsoever.

"He was just so enthusiastic," Douglas said of Jones. "He wants to raise the profile of the cemetery."

During last weekend's visit, a very-accommodating Jones took some time out to show Douglas, Sears, and fellow historical society members Sylvia Myers and Marge Walsh around the grounds. While Walsh had been to the cemetery before, this was the first time she ever set foot on the cemetery's oldest portion, which dates back to the 17th century.

"I've lived here all my life, (and) this is the first time I've been in it this far," Walsh said as she traversed the southwest corner of the cemetery, which contains gravestones so old that some have fallen down, only to be covered over by the elements.

At one point Sears, the historical society's president, bent down to brush off dirt, and clear out weeds, that had enveloped one marker.

Myers said its important to pay respects to those who helped shape Roxborough into a community that remains close-knit today, although maybe not as much as it once was.

"It's people who made a difference in our neighborhood," Myers said of those buried here.

Douglas said in crafting the program, she spent much time researching Leverington's interred. She and the others eventually came up with the idea of making the event annual. They decided to focus on a different segment of the cemetery population each year. This year's program will touch on people who have had Roxborough streets named after them.

The hope, Douglas said, is that people will in turn seek to learn more about Roxborough's history. This will hopefully lead them to the historical society's headquarters, which is currently stationed at the Roxborough Library.

"This event is actually a springboard to the archives," Douglas said. "This really overlaps with the historical society and the community. We really want those archives to come to life."

Our course, there's also another lesson to be learned. Douglas said part of the aim is to show modern folks how the concepts of cooperation and collectiveness once played an integral role in the founding and developing of a community.

These are concepts that seem to have been lost overtime, she said.

"The country we are right now was founded because people cooperated with each other," Douglas said.

The fact that there was "economic, social and political" cooperation, and an overall sense of teamwork, could be a good lesson for today's generations, she said.

"We've really come to a point where we need to go back and learn how to cooperate," she said.

A scan of those buried at Leverington Cemetery will speak volumes of collective efforts, Douglas said. And while it's naive to think everyone in the community were best friends, they still "found a way to work together.

"If we could help people to remember how that cooperation was possible ... that's part of what you can do with an annual event," Douglas said.

The eventual goal is to honor all of those buried at Leverington, from the inventors, shopkeepers, teachers, mechanics, pastors and soldiers, to the writers, builders, nurses, artists, doctors, tailors, public servants, fathers and mothers.

While it could not be immediately determined how many people are buried at Leverington today, Douglas said as of 1880, 14,000 interments had taken place; that number is now likely much higher.

Leverington Cemetery is located on Ridge Avenue directly across from Lyceum Avenue. The fee for the program is $2 for adults, and $1 for teens. Children and seniors are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased daily at the Roxborough Development Corp., 6148 Ridge Ave., or at the gate the day of the event starting at noon.

Reporter Jon Campisi can be reached at 215-354-3038 or jcampisi@phillynews.com