You’ve probably never heard of Frances Perkins, but generations of Americans have benefitted from her work in labor rights and social justice – and still do today.
“American workers are truly indebted to Frances Perkins, a champion of workers’ rights who devoted her life to improving the lives of others,” National Park Service Director Chuck Sams said in a press release.
Now the National Park Service is honoring her legacy with America’s newest national park, Frances Perkins National Monument in Maine.
President Joe Biden officially designated her family’s historic homestead as America’s 433rd national park site on Monday.
Here’s what you should know about Perkins and the new park.
Who was Frances Perkins and why is she important?
Frances Perkins was the first woman to serve as a Cabinet secretary, the longest serving secretary of Labor, and the leading architect of the New Deal, according to a White House fact sheet.
“During her 12 years as Secretary of Labor under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, she envisioned and helped create Social Security; helped millions of Americans get back to work during the Great Depression; fought for the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively; and established the minimum wage, overtime pay, prohibitions on child labor, and unemployment insurance,” the White House said.
Prior to that, Perkins spent years fighting for workers in the New York state government and beyond.
“Service was at the core of her heart,” said Giovanna Gray Lockhart, executive director of the nonprofit Frances Perkins Center, which is dedicated to sharing and preserving Perkins’ legacy. “As a trained social worker, she realized that policy was the way to help millions of people.”
Where did Frances Perkins live in Maine?
According to the National Park Service, Perkins grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts but spent her summers on her family’s homestead in Newcastle, Maine, where her ancestors first settled in the 1750s. As an adult, she continued returning to the property and considered it home even though she spent most of her time elsewhere, in public service. When Perkins died in 1965, she was buried in a nearby cemetery.
Her family’s 57-acre homestead along the Damariscotta River was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 2014. In 2020, the Frances Perkins Center bought it from Perkins’ family and more recently partnered with the National Park Conservation Association on campaigning for national park designation.
How to visit
The homestead is located about an hour’s drive from Portland, Maine.
There is no admission fee.
“Our grounds are open 365 days a year, dawn till dusk, and you can walk our trails, snowshoe and just enjoy the peace and quiet there,” Gray Lockhart said. The historic buildings are closed for the season. “But come summer, we will be open for self-guided tours, as well as a full calendar of programming and educational opportunities to learn more about Frances Perkins and her legacy.”
The National Park Service will work with the center to provide visitor access and services.
The bigger picture
The park’s new designation is part of the Biden administration’s larger efforts to honor women’s history.
“Women sometimes don’t get the recognition that they deserve for having these ideas and bringing them forward,” said Kristen Brengel, senior vice president of Government Affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association. “Frances Perkins, to many people, was a buried history. Today changes that, and so I feel like it’s just a really special moment to honor her, but also remind ourselves that we need to do our homework a little bit more and not let these women sort of go without the recognition that they deserve.”
On Monday, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced five new National Historic Landmarks tied to women’s history:
- Azurest South in Petersburg, Virginia
- The Charleston Cigar Factory in Charleston, South Carolina
- The Furies Collective House in Washington, D.C.
- The Lucy Diggs Slowe and Mary Burrill House in Washington, D.C.
- The Peter Hurd and Henriette Wyeth House and Studios in San Patricio, New Mexico
Existing national park sites focused on trailblazing women include:
(This story has been updated to correct a typo.)
