You’ve probably never heard of Frances Perkins, but generations of Americans have benefited from her work on labor rights and social justice—and continue to do so.
“American workers truly owe a debt of gratitude to Frances Perkins, a workers’ rights advocate who dedicated her life to improving the lives of others,” National Park Service Director Chuck Sams said in a news release.
Now the National Park Service is honoring her legacy with America’s newest national park, Frances Perkins National Monument in Maine.
President Joe Biden has officially designated her family’s historic homestead as America’s 433rd national park on Monday.
Here’s what you need to know about Perkins and the new park.
Who was Frances Perkins and why is she important?
Social reformer and former Minister of Labor Frances Perkins arrives in Plymouth aboard the American liner Washington en route to Geneva.
Frances Perkins was the first woman to serve as Cabinet secretary, the longest-serving Secretary of Labor and the chief architect of the New Deal, according to a White House fact sheet.
“During her twelve years as Secretary of Labor under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, she championed and helped advance Social Security; helped millions of Americans return to work during the Great Depression; fought for the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively; and established the minimum wage, overtime pay, child labor bans, and unemployment insurance,” the White House said.
Before that, Perkins spent years fighting for workers in New York state government and beyond.
“Service was at the core of her heart,” said Giovanna Gray Lockhart, executive director of the nonprofit Frances Perkins Center, which is dedicated to sharing and preserving Perkins’ legacy. “As a trained social worker, she realized that policy was the way to help millions of people.”
Where did Frances Perkins live in Maine?
According to the National Park Service, Perkins grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts, but spent her summers on her family’s farm in Newcastle, Maine, where her ancestors first settled in the 1750s. As an adult, she continued to return to the property and considered it her home, even though she spent most of her time elsewhere, in public service. When Perkins died in 1965, she was buried in a nearby cemetery.
Her family’s 57-acre ranch along the Damariscotta River was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 2014. In 2020, the Frances Perkins Center purchased it from Perkins’ family and recently partnered with the National Park Conservation Association campaigning for national park designation.
The Frances Perkins Center welcomes visitors year-round, although historic buildings are only open seasonally.
How to visit
The homestead is about an hour’s drive from Portland, Maine.
There is no entrance fee.
“Our grounds are open 365 days a year, from sunrise to sunset, and you can hike our trails, snowshoe and just enjoy the peace and quiet there,” Gray Lockhart said. The historic buildings are closed this season. “But next summer we will be open for self-guided tours, as well as a full calendar of programming and educational opportunities to learn more about Frances Perkins and her legacy.”
The National Park Service will work with the center to provide visitor access and services.
The bigger picture
Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins is seen in the first photo of President Franklin D. Roosevelt with his Cabinet from March 1933.
The park’s renaming is part of the Biden administration’s larger efforts to honor women’s history.
“Women sometimes don’t get the recognition they deserve for having these ideas and putting them forward,” said Kristen Brengel, senior vice president of Government Affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association. “Francis Perkins was a buried man to many people. Today that changes, and so I feel like it’s a very special moment to honor her, but also remind ourselves that we need to do our homework a little more and not let these women go without the recognition they deserve . .”
On Monday, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced five new National Historic Landmarks related to women’s history:
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The most azure south in Petersburg, Virginia
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The Charleston Cigar Factory in Charleston, South Carolina
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The Furies Collective House in Washington, DC
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The Lucy Diggs Slowe and Mary Burrill House in Washington, DC
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The Peter Hurd and Henriette Wyeth House and Studios in San Patricio, New Mexico
Existing national park sites focused on pioneering women include:
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Frances Perkins National Monument will become the newest U.S. national park
