MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • February 7, 2021
If you earn a decent wage, are able to take time off from work and are thinking about retiring, you have Frances Perkins to thank. Perkins, the first woman to serve in a U.S. presidential Cabinet, was the architect of a federal minimum wage, the 40-hour work week and Social Security. The Frances Perkins Center in Damariscotta has purchased the Perkins family homestead in nearby Newcastle. It is in the process of preserving the saltwater farm, with plans to open to the public as an educational site and center for progressive thought, where people will be able to learn about the social and economic history of Maine and how it helped Perkins focus on her life’s work. Three years ago, Maine Preservation flagged the Perkins homestead as one of Maine’s most endangered historic places. Now, the homestead is safe.