Maine officially has a new National Monument

By Adam Bartow

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    NEWCASTLE, Maine (WMTW) — The Frances Perkins Homestead National Historic Landmark in Newcastle is now the Frances Perkins National Monument, making it the 433rd national park site in the country.

President Joe Biden signed the proclamation designating the National Monument on Monday.

Frances Perkins was a trailblazing woman and pioneering advocate for social justice, economic security, and labor rights. As Secretary of Labor under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Perkins was the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet, becoming one of Roosevelt’s closest and most highly regarded advisors. She fought for working people and served as a driving force behind the New Deal, helping to lift Americans out of the Great Depression.

The new Frances Perkins site will be managed by the National Park Service. The designation comes after a successful grassroots campaign led by the nonprofit Frances Perkins Center and the National Parks Conservation Association, urging the president to honor Frances Perkins, the first female presidential cabinet secretary, with a national monument.

“Frances Perkins’ values have shaped the American workplace. From the 40-hour work week to the minimum wage, to workplace safety and fire prevention, to the abolition of child labor, to the creation of Social Security, Perkins remains one of the most influential women in US history,” said Keith Mestrich, chair of the board for the Frances Perkins Center and long-time labor advocate. “And the Frances Perkins Homestead makes it possible to see and touch history, with significant artifacts from Perkins’ life and times. Under the management of the National Park Service, the homestead will introduce Perkins legacy to more people and inspire new generations of leaders who can put their values to work for others.”

The Frances Perkins Center owned and managed the Frances Perkins Homestead National Historic Landmark when it purchased the 57-acre riverfront property in 2020 from Perkins’ only living descendent, Tomlin Perkins Coggeshall.

More than 5,000 people signed a petition asking President Biden to make the designation, and the campaign was supported by a broad cross-section of Maine leaders, including Gov. Janet Mills, U.S. Sen. Angus King, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, former U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, Maine Senate President Mattie Daughtry, Maine State Sen. Rachel Talbot Ross and many others.

“Frances Perkins is one of the most important public servants of the 20th century and she was a woman whose commitment to making lives better for millions of Americans has touched us all. With a national monument designation, not only will she receive the recognition she deserves, but more people will also be able to learn about her work and future generations will be inspired by her steadfastness, intelligence, and courage,” said Giovanna Gray Lockhart. “This is a proud moment for Maine and the millions of working people in our country.”

The ancestral home of her family served as a place of respite and inspiration for Frances Perkins. Throughout her career in Chicago, New York City, Albany, and ultimately Washington, DC, she would always return to Newcastle. The new national monument consists of 57 acres along the Damariscotta River. The boundary of the national monument includes the entire property, but the initial donation to the American people will include the preserved and restored 1837 Brick House, barn, and adjacent property. The Frances Perkins Center will maintain ownership of land sufficient for the future, private construction of an educational center.

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