Lower Burrell resident Mary Esler loves striking up a flashy costume this time of year, whether it’s a queen’s gown for the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival or a holiday character for the students at Stewart Elementary School.

“I just have a blast,” the 62-year-old Burrell School District aide said.

Next week, Esler will dress up to bring to life someone she had never heard of: Leah Orbison, an English woman who served three decades as the housemaid for U.S. Congressman — and founder of Tarentum — Henry Marie Brackenridge.

“There isn’t too much information out there about Ms. Orbison, but the Brackenridge family loved her,” Esler said.

Orbison was born in 1793 and died in 1869. She worked as a “domestic” for 36 years.

“They thought so much of her that they buried her in their plot at Prospect Cemetery,” Esler said. “She is the only one buried in Brackenridge Circle who was not in the family.”

Esler will portray Orbison for the annual Prospect Cemetery Ghost Tour, organized by Tarentum historian Cindy Homburg.

“There’s all kinds of new stories presented every year,” Homburg said. “It’s always something different, and it’s a good way to learn about the people who shaped the area.”

Henry Brackenridge is the only repeat, Homburg said, because he donated the land for the cemetery along 10th Avenue.

In its 16th year, the ghost tour invites small groups to trek through the 13-acre cemetery. There are usually more than a dozen stops along the way to hear tales of locals from long ago.

The event is from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, and tickets cost $10 per person.

Last year’s tour drew more than 300 people, with proceeds benefiting cemetery maintenance.

Homburg spends all year researching spirits and makes it a rule to never reveal the lineup.

In past years, spirits have included a Ziegfeld Follies girl, a descendant of a U.S. founding father and the first mayor of Brackenridge.

Esler tried to piece together a costume based on her imagination of what Orbison might have worn to serve the borough’s first family. She hit up Amazon for a long black skirt, white apron and bonnet hat, which she’s eager to wear.

“I went to the tour for the first time last year and found it fascinating,” Esler said. “It’s really great to see all the people who made a difference in the communities here.

“There’s so many interesting little facts that people probably don’t know.”

Parking will be at Trinity United Methodist Church across the street. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are recommended.

To purchase tickets, call 724-224-4552 or 724-612-0076.