Senators Collins, King Celebrate Frances Perkins National Monument Designation

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, the Chairman of the Senate National Parks subcommittee, are applauding the official designation of the Frances Perkins Homestead in Newcastle as a National Monument. The announcement was made today by President Biden, who signed a proclamation honoring the historic contributions of Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve in a Presidential Cabinet and the country's longest-serving Secretary of Labor.

Perkins served for 12 years under President Franklin D. Roosevelt and briefly under President Harry Truman. Her confirmation to the Presidential Cabinet also made her the first woman to enter the presidential line of succession. She was instrumental in the development and passage of the Social Security Act, minimum wage laws, and working condition improvements.

"The Frances Perkins Homestead National Monument ensures that the legacy of a truly remarkable Maine leader is preserved for generations to come," Collins and King said. "A trailblazer in public service, Frances Perkins' intelligence and abiding commitment to her work transformed the lives of millions of Americans. From shaping Social Security to championing labor protections, her work continues to govern workplaces today and has bettered American lives for decades. Surrounded by the natural beauty of 57 acres in Newcastle, her ancestral homestead will now serve as a monument to her impressive legacy of service to our country."

According to the Frances Perkins Center, the homestead, built in 1837, is a saltwater farm consisting of 57 acres of woods and fields along the Damariscotta River. The homestead served as a family summer home for Perkins in childhood, and she considered the property her true home. Perkins died in 1965 and is buried in Newcastle, near the site of her homestead. The core area of the homestead has been donated to the National Park Service ensuring its preservation and accessibility as a historic site.

In August, Senator Collins sent a letter to the President expressing her support for the National Monument designation for the Frances Perkins Homestead. Earlier that month, Senator King joined the initial campaign launched by the Frances Perkins Center to urge the President to declare the homestead a National Monument.

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