Harrison D. Barrett was born in 1863 in Canaan, Maine, one of Levi and Lucetta Barrett’s six children. He attended Bloomfield Academy in Skowhegan, Canaan High School, and Lewiston High School located north of Portland.

Barrett’s first spiritual experience happened after the death of his sister Ollie in 1880, when she was only 12 years old. He heard several raps, and when he asked if they were caused by his sister, three raps followed. This began his interest in Spiritualism.

Barrett was accepted to Bates College, but his health kept him from attending. He moved west in 1881, hoping he would recover in a new location, but he remained sickly most of his life. In 1886, he entered the Meadville Unitarian Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1889 but was unable to resolve for himself the differences between the teachings of the church and his belief in Spiritualism. He decided against being a minister and went to work for public school systems in New York and Pennsylvania.

Barrett began attending summer sessions at Camp Etna in Maine where his mediumship unfolded. He was known for his platform work and it’s been said he walked 25 miles from Canaan to the camp barefoot in order to not scuff his shoes and be presentable.

In 1893, Barrett helped form and was elected president of the National Spiritualistic Association of Churches as the result of a court trial. A woman was being accused of fortunetelling and witchcraft. Barrett was called into court as a witness, and when the judge asked him to prove Spiritualism was a true religion, he asked for a recess and wrote three spiritualist principles.

 1-We believe in Infinite Intelligence.
 2-We believe that the phenomena of Nature, both physical and spiritual, are the expression of Infinite Intelligence.
 3-We affirm that a correct understanding of such expression and living in accordance therewith constitute true religion.

The judge concluded that the woman was practicing her religion and she was set free. Barrett founded the NSAC to give the Spiritualism a legitimacy it hadn’t possessed before.

By the time he married Margarite Coffyn in 1897, Barrett was editor of the Spiritualist paper, The Banner of Light. Margarite became assistant editor. They had two children, a daughter who died young and was buried at Camp Etna and a son.

Barrett said of Spiritualism: “It is a religious science and a scientific religion, a religious philosophy and a philosophical religion. It gives to the world knowledge of the future and has no negatives or speculations to offer to those who investigate its sublime teachings.”

Barrett traveled across the US and was known as an orator, poet, and politician. His books included, Life Work of Cora. L. V. Richmond, Cassadaga; Its History and Teaching, The Evolution of Worship, The Soul’s Song of Triumph, Psychic Romances and Pantheistic Idealism. He was a democratic candidate for the Massachusetts General Court in 1900 and later for the State Senate in Maine, but didn’t win either office.

The Barrett’s lived in Boston for a time and then settled in California. When Margarite passed in 1909, Barrett returned home to Canaan. He died two years later at the age of 47.

Skolfield, Diane Jackman. Harrison D. Barrett  https://www.campetna.com/harrison-d.-barrett.html

Webber, Denise. The Harrison D. Barrett.Speech given at the annual church service at Harrison D. Barrett Park in Canaan Maine on October 24, 1999. https://www.hdbspiritualistchurch.org/

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Photo from the Harrison D. Barrett Memorial Church site