BOND SEEKS TO PRESERVE FRANCES PERKINS HOMESTEAD

Perkins: FDR advisor, New Deal architect, and first woman U.S. Secretary of Labor

AUGUSTA –  A $2 million bond to acquire the Frances Perkins homestead and direct a preservation easement to be held by Maine Historic Preservation Commission was introduced at a public hearing in the state’s Appropriations Committee today.

Sen. Chris Johnson of Somerville

The homestead in Newcastle is the ancestral home of Frances Perkins and is a National Historic Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

“The historically significant Frances Perkins homestead deserves to be purchased, preserved, and managed as an historic site available for the benefit and education of the public, much as the Henry Wadsworth-Longfellow home is in Portland,” said Democratic State Senator Chris Johnson of Somerville, the sponsor of the measure.

Frances Perkins became the first woman to hold a cabinet-level position in the United States and served as the U. S. Secretary of Labor longer than any other person in that office. Perkins was also the principal architect behind many New Deal policies undertaken to combat the Great Depression, including Social Security, the 40-hour work week, overtime pay, unemployment insurance, a ban on child labor, workplace safety standards, and an expansion of public works projects.

“Visitors to the site come away with a strong sense of the background and character of one of the most effective public servants of the twentieth century,” added Senator Johnson. “The publicity and interest would bring more than bragging rights about the first woman cabinet member to a President of the United States. It would also be good for the nearby downtowns and area businesses.”

The property once contained an active brick-making operation were many of the bricks were used in building area houses and businesses. Currently, the Perkins Homestead includes a 57-acre saltwater farm with a brick house on the waterfront on the Damariscotta River. The homestead continues to be a private residence in which her grandson now lives. The acquisition is the next step in preserving and retaining this important historic site for the enjoyment and education of the public about Frances Perkins, including the homestead’s place in history.

The bond measure received support by a number of people including the Newcastle Town Manager and the Frances Perkins Center– a nonprofit organization whose mission is to fulfill the legacy of Frances Perkins by continuing her work for social justice and economic security.

The Appropriations Committee will be holding a work session on the bill, LD 1234, “An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Acquire the Frances Perkins Homestead,”  in the coming weeks. If approved, the bond measure will go to the voters of Maine for their approval.