Frances Perkins, the first woman appointed to a presidential cabinet, on the family homestead in Damariscotta. Photo courtesy the Frances Perkins Center
Do you know who Frances Perkins is? If the answer is no, you're not alone. In honor of Women's History Month, the March episode of "Maine Ties" shares her story.
Perkins was the first woman elected to a presidential cabinet and under Franklin Delano Roosevelt served as U.S. secretary of labor for 12 years. She is responsible for crafting legislation for FDR's New Deal and creating the federal social-safety net as we know it today.
Perkins was from Boston but spent each summer of her life on the family homestead in Damariscotta. The Frances Perkins Center has purchased the home, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, and is preserving it to shine a light on her legacy.
MaineCF's Belvedere Historic Preservation and Energy Efficiency Fund in 2021 supported the home's roof repair. The Southern Midcoast Committee awarded the center a Community Building grant to produce a traveling educational exhibit about Perkins' life.
