Two Maine Sites Selected to National Historic Landmarks Program

Press Release

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today celebrated the designation of two Maine sites as National Historic Landmarks--Eagle Island near Harpswell, the longtime summer residence of Arctic explorer and Bowdoin College graduate Robert E. Peary; and the homestead ofFrances Perkins, the country's first female presidential cabinet member, in Newcastle.

"I'm very excited that these Maine sites have achieved the national distinction they deserve. Both helped shape the lives of two of the most influential individuals of their times," said Pingree. "The bluffs and ledges of Eagle Island provided refuge for Admiral Robert Peary when hewasn't exploring the Arctic. Frances Perkins' home, and the community around it, helped form the values that she would draw on while crafting visionary federal programs as Secretary of Labor during the Depression. Mainers have always valued the significance of these places, and now the rest of the country can as well."

The roughly 2,500 National Historic Landmarks represent a small subset of the National Register of Historic Places, which has 90,000 listings. Becoming one is a lengthy process (two to five years) thatinvolves a nomination and reviews by a national board and the National Parks Service. Ultimately, sites must be selected by the Secretary of the Interior for their historical significance to the nation as a whole.

Pingree is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment, which overseesfunding for the National Parks Service.

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