“With the addition of Frances Perkins’ story, we now have 13 national park sites dedicated to the contributions of women and we know there is more work to be done." NPCA President and CEO Theresa Pierno
WASHINGTON, DC – President Biden will today designate the Frances Perkins Homestead National Historic Landmark in Newcastle, Maine as the newest national monument. Utilizing his executive authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906, President Biden’s action today will make Frances Perkins National Monument our 433rd national park site.
Frances Perkins was a trailblazing woman and pioneering advocate for social justice, economic security, and labor rights. Perkins was the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet as Secretary of Labor under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, becoming one of President 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 National Monument 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 (NPCA), urging the president to honor Frances Perkins’ legacy 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.”
In March as part of Women’s History Month, President Biden issued an executive order directing the US Department of Interior to identify sites that recognize the contributions of women in US history and to strengthen the National Park Service’s recognition of women’s history.
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. Inspired by the executive order, The Frances Perkins Center and NPCA launched the public campaign calling for a national park site to honor Perkins’ legacy.
“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,” said Giovanna Gray Lockhart, Executive Director for the Frances Perkins Center. “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. This is a proud moment for Maine and the millions of working people in our country.”
The President of the United States is empowered to create national monuments under the authority of the Antiquities Act of 1906. Used to safeguard and preserve federal lands and cultural and historical sites for all Americans, 18 presidents have used this authority and have designated 161 national monuments.
“Frances Perkins made the world a better place, and she learned the values that guided her life at our family’s homestead in Newcastle,” said Tomlin Perkins Coggeshall, Perkins’ grandson. “While she is a figure of incredible historical importance, to me she was my grandmother and I treasured the time that we had together. I’m so proud that she is being honored by President Biden and her contribution is being recognized with a national monument.”
More than 5,000 people signed a petition asking President Biden to make the designation, and the Park for Perkins’ campaign was supported by a broad cross-section of Maine leaders, including Gov. Janet Mills, US Sen. Angus King, US Sen. Susan Collins, US Rep. Chellie Pingree, former US Sen. Olympia Snowe, Maine Senate President Mattie Daughtry, former Maine Speaker of the House Rachel Talbot Ross and many others.
“Our national parks are places to explore and learn about our nation’s history,” said Theresa Pierno, President and CEO for the National Parks Conservation Association. “With the addition of Frances Perkins’ story, we now have 13 national park sites dedicated to the contributions of women and we know there is more work to be done. Millions of visitors who enjoy our national parks will now know the woman who transformed American culture for the better by ending child labor, providing a safety net for the unemployed, and designing a Social Security program we depend on to this day. Frances Perkins worked tirelessly to ensure the United States government truly served the people. Today, her commitment to social reform lives on in her policies and through this new national park site. We commend the Biden administration for this designation that will inspire countless future leaders.”
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 always returned 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 includes 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.
President Biden is expected to sign the proclamation at a ceremony later today with Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland at the Department of Labor Building in Washington, DC, which was named for Perkins in 1980.
Photos of the Frances Perkins National Monument and of today’s event are available for media use here.
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The Frances Perkins Center is a nonprofit organization that inspires current and future generations to understand and uphold the government’s role in providing social justice and economic security for all. Our work is guided by Frances Perkins’ effective leadership style and one woman’s power to change the world. For more information, visit www.francesperkinscenter.org.
About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.6 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.
