Program

NYS Historic

Subject

People

Location

168 Edward St, Buffalo, NY 14201, USA

Lat/Long

42.896231, -78.877783

Grant Recipient

City of Buffalo

Frances Folsom, also known as Frank, was born in Buffalo, NY in 1864, and lived in the home at 168 Edward Street (Buffalo Courier, May 30, 1886). Her father, Oscar Folsom, was a lawyer. Following his death in 1875, his law partner Grover Cleveland took charge of his estate, managing it for Frances and her mother.

Frances attended Wells College, graduating in 1885 (Buffalo Courier Express, June 18, 1885). While she attended Wells, she and Grover Cleveland began corresponding. Cleveland was initially Governor of New York, and then by her graduation in 1885 he was sworn in as President of the United States. Frances had visited Washington D.C. in the Spring if 1885, and then later that summer Cleveland proposed to her by letter while she was staying with family in Wyoming County, NY. Her mother and Cleveland both insisted they wait a year to marry, and Frances went on a year-long tour of Europe with family. Upon her return, the White House announced their engagement.

On June 2, 1886, Frances Folsom and Grover Cleveland were married in the White House, in a small ceremony in the Blue Room (Lynchburg Daily News, June 2, 1886). Frances was 21 years old, the youngest presidential spouse, as well as the first to ever be married in the White House.  Frances served as First Lady for both of Grover Cleveland’s two non-consecutive terms. She was wildly popular and was said to balance her husband’s stern public image, humanizing him for the public. Francis served on the Wells College Board of Trustees and became very involved in charitable work in New York. She served as Vice President of the New York Kindergarten Association. She and President Cleveland had five children, one of which passed away as a child.

During his second term, Cleveland’s health deteriorated, and Francis began covering for him publicly. Although he had been very opposed to her being involved in politics at all, Frances began to write letters on his behalf and provide excuses for his absences. In 1908, Grover passed away, and Francis was left to raise their four children alone.

Four years later she re-married Thomas J. Preston Jr., a professor at Wells College. He later became a professor at Princeton University, where Francis was very active on campus already due to her and Grover Cleveland having previously lived in Princeton, NJ. When WWI began, Francis was living in London but on vacation with her family in Switzerland. They evacuated Europe, and Francis became very involved with the war effort, organizing rallies and events for the National Security League.

In her later life, Frances became more politically outspoken and involved. She was asked to resign from the National Security League due to comments she made about some American’s being “unassimilated”, causing controversy over the indoctrination of children in the classroom. She also served as the Vice President for the New Jersey Association Opposed to Woman’s Suffrage, and expressed the opinion that women should not vote, but rather focus their attention on charities and other civic activities already available to them.  However, she also remained very charitably active until late in life, working to transcribe braille materials, serving on the Campfire Girls Board of Directors, and as Treasurer and President of the Needlework Guild.

Frances Folsom Cleveland passed away on October 29, 1947, at 83 years old.