Who was Frances Perkins, whose Maine homestead may become a national monument?

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 15, 2024

Federal officials are scheduled to visit the Frances Perkins Homestead in Newcastle on Thursday following requests to designate the property as a national monument. The Washington Post reported that President Joe Biden is planning to sign an executive order declaring the homestead as a national monument, although U.S. Department of Interior officials haven’t confirmed that. Though the homestead has been open to the public for years and was named a National Historic Landmark in 2014, the monument designation would mean the family homestead of the pioneering worker-rights advocate will gain a national spotlight. Perkins was the first-ever woman to serve in a presidential cabinet. She was instrumental in crafting much of the legislation that was part of Roosevelt’s New Deal.