Protecting the significant archival materials and collections related to Frances Perkins’ life and work, as well as the history of the Perkins Family Homestead, are essential to the Frances Perkins Center’s mission of honoring her legacy.  

When the Center acquired the Homestead in 2020, it also acquired its contents and collections. The FPC Collection has some of Frances Perkins’ and Perkins Family papers, letters, photographs, furniture, artwork, clothing, personal items, books, farm and brick making equipment, and more—all of which has not been previously catalogued or made public.

Through a generous Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Humanities in Place grant, Frances Perkins Center began working with an expert archivist in 2024 to catalogue, preserve, and protect the FPC Collection. The archivist will conduct expert research and analysis to help identify and properly catalogue the artifacts, papers, and objects housed at the Homestead; create collections policies for future acquisitions; and make the items accessible for future public inquiry and curation.