You may recall the dowager countess on Downton Abbey inquiring, mystified, “What’s a weekend?” That’s because a part of our week that we rely on to relax and recharge didn’t always exist. In fact, it took a lot of activism to ensure workers get two days off in a row—and the home of the woman Americans have to thank for that, Frances Perkins, just became a National Monument.
Opened in July, the Frances Perkins National Monument is one of the country’s newest national monuments, and it would be very fitting to visit it on Labor Day, since Perkins herself was a labor activist. Get yourself to Newcastle, Maine—about an hour north of Portland—to honor the woman who made our lives significantly better.
Before the establishment of a 40-hour workday, people would work six days a week, often for 10-12 hours a day. And during the Industrial Revolution, the number of hours could be even higher, like 12-14 hours. If you currently feel your life is nothing but work, imagine how it was for your ancestors. Thankfully, Perkins was instrumental, with others including the Ford Motor Company, in establishing the Fair Labor Standards Act (which originally created a 44-hour workweek, reduced to 40 hours in 1940). That naturally led to the two-day weekend. Thank you, Frances Perkins! Let’s lift a pint to her on Labor Day.
A suffragist, Perkins also helped create the concept of the minimum wage and battled for child labor laws (some of the people working 14 hour shifts were just little kids). She was FDR's Secretary of Labor (first woman cabinet member ever) and is credited with brainstorming at least part of the New Deal and was key to establishing Social Security.
What spurred her to such vigor? She witnessed the horrific Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in New York City, where young seamstresses were locked into their workspace and died when it caught on fire. Because of this, Perkins devoted her entire life to bringing better conditions and regulations to workers. She did so many other things it’s ridiculous she doesn’t have huge name recognition; for instance, she intervened to prevent refugees being deported to Nazi Germany. There are thousands of people out there who owe their lives to her.
A brand-new welcome center at the Frances Perkins National Monument opened for visitors this June after the December 2024 designation as a national monument. Former president Joe Biden’s directive to find more historical sites to honor women’s contributions led to the national monument’s creation. Previously, Perkins's home and its acreage were a National Historic Landmark, designated in 2014. The Frances Perkins Center (a nonprofit dedicated to sharing her achievements and relating them to American life today) bought the property from the Perkins family in 2020 and donated it to the National Park Service. The center continues on as the official interpretive and philanthropic partner with the NPS to staff the site and its programs.
Along with the welcome center where you can chat with staff and learn about Perkins, get your national park passport stamp, buy books and branded merchandise, the grounds include an 1837 Homestead Barn with a self-guided "Life & Legacy of Frances Perkins" exhibit of photographs and artifacts. Currently, Perkins’s home itself, also built in 1837 and known as the Brick House, is undergoing archival work and isn’t open for visitors.
The national monument is set on 57 acres of placid woods, green lawns and lupines, a place where Perkins would find peace before going back to Washington, D.C. to fight for better conditions for workers. Scenic walking trails give views of the Damariscotta River and let you get a sense of the pastoral beauty that fueled Perkins. If you’re a bit of an archeologist, the trails also lead to 18th century building foundations, a 1740s garrison site and the remains of a 19th century brickyard on the grounds… not to mention, 2.8 miles of stone walls.
Visiting on Labor Day would be especially meaningful, but the center is also open through September 28 before closing for the winter. On September 7, there’s a special event to commemorate the signing of the Social Security Act; tickets are $90. Otherwise, the Frances Perkins National Monument is free to visit. When it closes for the season, visitors can still access the trails from dawn to dusk for free.
