MORAVIA - A local cemetery holds perhaps more history than any other part of a town. It is the one place that will never be reconstructed, updated or torn down.

In knowing this, Joyce Hacket Smith, president of the Cayuga-Owasco Lakes Historical Society, wanted to do more than give a tour of Moravia#'s Indian Mound Cemetery she wanted to bring its people back to life.

“We want to bring history alive,” she said during the first annual Indian Mound Cemetery tour held Saturday in Moravia. “In this way it is interactive and educational.”

Hacket Smith, along with Loose Ends Little Theater Company co-founder Bourke Kennedy, assembled actors to perform the parts of several of Moravia#'s historical figures to tell their stories at the person#'s actual grave site.

“I played the part of Emily Mead,” Kennedy said. “I was the best friend of Lucy Morse, a prominent Quaker of the area, and my father was the local undertaker.”

Although Mead is not actually buried in the cemetery, Kennedy said that her significance to the afternoon was in reconstructing the daily life of a historical Moravian resident.

Other historical figures portrayed during the tour held a prominent place in Moravia's history, including Dr. Cyrus Powers, who donated his collection of 3,342 books to the town after his death.

The donation of his books became the start of the Powers Library four-months after his death. The Powers Library is still in use today.

The part of Powers was played by historical society member, Alan Clugston.

“Dr. Powers also donated the land that the library was built on,” Hacket Smith said. “At the time he had the largest collection of books in central New York.”

Mary Andrews, a local medium of the time, was portrayed by historical society member Nancy Weaver.

“Mary was the medium that was visited by Mary Todd Lincoln,” Hacket Smith said. “Her medium circles were to cause the Mecca of spiritualism to blossom in Moravia.”

Dr. William Cook came to the village in 1874 after graduating from New York City's Homeopathic College, and was rarely seen without a lit cigar in his hand.

Historical Society member Frank Foti carried a cigar in his hand during his portrayal of Cook during the tour.

Carrying a bag of plants, Joel Weirick played the part of local botanist, Dr. Charles Atwood.

“Atwood had the largest collection of plants in the state,” he said. “He donated 40,000 species to Cornell College where he graduated.”

Although the village of Moravia's founder, John Stoyell, was scheduled to appear, his absence did not deter his descendants from attending the tour.

The Stoyell family has played a large part of Moravia#'s history from its inception in 1790.

“I am very proud to know that our ancestors founded Moravia,” said Deanna (Stoyell) Mannigan. “Although some of the family has moved we always find our way back home. Most of us have stayed right here though. Our roots are dug deep into the village.”

Hackett Smith said that the tour went over so well that the historical society will be planning annual tours of the cemetery with a different theme each fall.