The Evening Star

16 Barrett Square

The Etna Town Office tax records state that this cottage was built in 1940, which seems to be the date they used for everything on the campground. However, here is a photo of Mary Vanderbilt standing with the owners of the cottage, Warren and Nellie Foss. Mary Vanderbilt passed to spirit in 1919 and the large stone behind you in the cemetery marks where her ashes, and others' ashes, have been laid to rest.

The photo on the sign was taken sometime before Mary Venderbilt’s passing in 1919 when the cottage belonged to Warren and Nellie Foss.

Warren Foss

Nellie Foss

We know that Warren and Nellie were Mediums and Healers, as are many people who live on this campground. We also know, thanks to Spirit Detective, Elton Brumfeld, that the large painting hanging on the north wall of The Meeting Room at The Etna Inn was bequeathed to Camp Etna when Nellie passed to Spirit. Elton found this information in her will.

The painting, pictured below, was commissioned by Nellie and if you look closely in the bottom right-hand corner of the painting you may recognize her husband, Warren Foss, being carried by an assortment of interesting, possibly historical, characters. It seems the painting depicts these bearers carrying Warren in a sedan chair perhaps to The Great Beyond. It was commissioned while Warren was still alive. This painting was painted by a Bangor artist, Louis P. Jones, in 1904. Louis was believed to have channeled the spirit of Joseph John in many of his paintings. We have a nice collection of his work as well as other Spirit Artists. Spirit Artists were very popular at the turn of the last century and continue to be taught here occasionally at Camp Etna during our summer program.

Nellie passed to Spirit at the home of her niece Mrs. Jesse S. Pattee. Mrs. Pattee inherited The Evening Star cottage and eventually gave this cottage to Mary Drake Jenne, who may have lived in it for a short time. Our records indicate Gladys & Tony LaLiberte owned the cottage at some point followed by Nate and Shirley Orr. The cottage then passed to the hands of Irene Harding. Rev. Harding established the Plymouth Spiritualist Church in 1974 in Massachusetts. A new roof was installed on the cottage in 2024 and its Star continues to shine over Camp Etna.