Frances Cleveland was the first celebrity First Lady, fascinating the American people from her White House wedding to her fashion sense. This twenty-one-year-old young woman charmed crusty Washington politicos and won over the public with her gracious entertaining and beautiful family. Marrying the much older Grover Cleveland, Frances seems to have chosen a safe life, but it ended up being one of adventure!
Each month, I’ll detail the life of the first lady and their legacy. Then I’ll share what I learned while studying them, along with ways you can travel in their footsteps through historical sites and museums. I’ll also share books, podcasts, TV shows, and websites where you can learn even more about that first lady. Read all of the way through the blog post or click on the links below to go straight to those sections.
Life
Childhood
Frances “Frank” Folsom was born on July 21, 1864 to Oscar and Emma Folsom in Buffalo, New York. Her father’s family had a long and rich tradition in the upstate of New York, and while he was a respected lawyer, he also had a rakish and impulsive tendency. When Frances was just six years old, he left her at a hotel to lessen the weight of his carriage on an all-day race through the streets. When he remembered Frances hours later, he rushed back to the hotel to pick her up!
Oscar’s foolishness was tempered by the steady hand of his law partner, Grover Cleveland who was the son of a Presbyterian minister and the provider for his widowed mother and siblings. Grover was an adored family friend who purchased a baby carriage for little Frank. She called him Uncle Cleve and grew up idolizing the man who helped her family, particularly when her father was killed in a carriage accident when she was 11. Grover was a pallbearer at the funeral and was named executor of the will, taking some responsibility for Frances and her mother.
Frances went to live with her grandmother in nearby Medina before her mother moved to be with family in St. Paul, Minnesota. By Frances’ high school years, they were back in Buffalo. She attended Central High School and was a conscientious student. However she dropped out in 1881 (possibly due to a broken engagement) and enrolled in Wells College in Aurora, New York, thanks to the help of Grover’s influence. He was now the middle age mayor of Buffalo and was still a bachelor. He is said to have told his sister that he was “waiting for my sweetheart to grow up.”
Frances blossomed at Wells, becoming a popular leader and exceptional student fluent in four languages. Grover sent her letters and flowers, and when he became governor in 1882, she accompanied him on trips around the state. He was the Democratic nominee for president in 1885, and she spent election night with him, hosting her own victory party in her dorm room once she returned to Wells.
She must have been somewhat scandalized by the reporting of Grover’s illegitimate son by a Buffalo woman known for her affairs with married men. Whether the boy was truly Grover’s or Frances’ father’s (the boy was named Oscar Folsom Cleveland, adding to the mystery!), Grover did the honorable thing and provided for his care and adoption. While this could have been a negative, most of the public and Frances admired him for his honesty.
Frances was invited to the inauguration but couldn’t attend due to her college exams. Rumors were swirling in New York and Washington that Grover had a sweetheart – and most people assumed it was Frances’ mother. However he made it clear on Memorial Day in 1886 that it was Frances he intended to marry as he tipped his hat to her during a New York City parade while the band played the wedding march. He had proposed via letter in August of 1885, but Frances wanted to live a little before the wedding, touring Europe with her mother in the spring of 1886. Their letters are still held by the Cleveland family, but in the few made public, they do seem to be in love and smitten with each other.
A White House Marriage
Frances and her mother arrived in Washington just a day before the June 2, 1886 wedding. While they had planned to marry at her grandfather’s home in Buffalo, his death caused a change of location to the White House’s Blue Room. Her wedding cake came by express train from New York City, and the press was allowed in to see decorations at 5 pm with the public congregating on the grounds in hopes of a glimpse of the young bride. Grover’s sister, Rose, who had served as his White House hostess until this day, oversaw all of the preparations.
Frances was stunning in a wedding gown of ivory satin with Indian muslin draped in Grecian folds (click to see its picture at the Smithsonian). Orange blossoms were woven through her veil which covered her dark hair. The thirty guests were treated to the Marine Bank who was led by John Phillips Sousa himself. Their wedding vows were altered by Cleveland to “love, cherish and keep” instead of “obey.” The ceremony was presided over by a Presbyterian minister, but Grover’s brother pronounced them man and wife.
After the wedding dinner, the President and First Lady left for their honeymoon at a friend’s resort in Deer Park, Maryland. While there, they got a rude introduction to the public’s fascination as reporters badgered employees to see what they were eating and hid in the bushes, hoping to get a picture of the couple. Grover invited some more reputable reporters in, hoping to stem the tide, but nothing could stop the desire for more information about the lovely Mrs. Cleveland.
When they returned to the White House, Frances began her First Lady duties, hosting her first reception just two weeks later while wearing her altered wedding gown. She was so popular that she hosted over 4,600 people in her second reception. Women flocked to her receptions, which included a popular one held every Saturday afternoon for working women. By the end of her time in the White House, she had shaken so many hands that her right hand would be bigger than her left.
As with First Lady Lucy Hayes, Frances was a believer in temperance but alcohol was served at White House events. She kept this temperance pledge her entire life until a doctor advised her to have a small daily drink for health benefits. She was a very religious young woman, much more so than her preacher’s kid husband, and attended First Presbyterian Church in Washington.
She gave her first newspaper interview 3.5 weeks after wedding and was constantly hounded by the press. The American public wanted to know everything about her, including her fashion preferences, and the press wasn’t above making up something to get more views. It was reported that she no longer wore a bustle so women all around America gave up their bustles. It was untrue but Frances ended up going along with the change to accommodate the public.
Photos taken at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History
She was considered one of the prettiest women in America with her long, dark hair, blue eyes, and creamy complexion, and her popularity helped her husband politically and personally. He was known as a workhorse, but Frances insisted they ride daily and attend the theater regularly. Grover purchased a home near Georgetown (now called Cleveland Park) where they could retreat from the prying eyes of the White House.
Grover was very protective of his new wife, hating the press intrusions into their lives. He fought Congress to pass a bill to stop the use of her image in advertising but was unsuccessful. Her name and face were plastered over all kinds of things from tobacco to clothes.
They took a tour of the western and southern states in the fall, spending time with former First Lady Sarah Polk at her Nashville home. Frances’ friends from college visited the White House and have left delightful diaries of the receptions and dinners.
She wasn’t involved in politics but did attend some Congressional debates about Grover’s tariff legislation. Her main interest in politics was to provide copyright protections for authors. Grover was not a fan of women’s involvement in politics so she kept mostly to her domestic sphere.
With the election of 1888 looming, her popularity was thought to help him. Women organized Frances Folsom Cleveland clubs even though they couldn’t vote. Grover didn’t like women being involved in politics and discouraged these clubs, leading Frances to shun supporting them as well. She and Grover were both anti-suffrage (even though she would later vote!).
The Republican ticket led by Benjamin Harrison insinuated that Grover was abusing Frances which caused her much heartache. It may have made an impact on the final result when Grover won the popular vote but lost the electoral college. Frances was heartbroken to leave the White House, but she told the staff to “take care of everything” because she would be back in four years.
Post-White House
Frances and Grover moved to New York City exhausted and demoralized by his loss. He quickly threw himself into work while she spent time with friends. She focused on charity work and patronizing the arts but was lonely without Grover’s attention. She left for an extended visit with family friends in Marion, Massachusetts where depression set in. Grover visited every week and comforted her, leading her to return to New York City.
She was a proponent of kindergarten and did charity work for the New York Eye and Ear Hospital. She hosted fundraising events for the theater and joined others like Mrs. Andrew Carnegie and Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt in raising needed funds for a variety of charities.
In 1890, Grover purchased a home named Gray Gables in Bourne on Buzzards Bay near her friends. By the spring of 1891, she was pregnant, giving birth to Ruth Cleveland on October 3, 1891. The proud father was 54 and she was 27. She was an attentive mother, especially for the time period, and told a friend that “life is very smooth and even and beautiful.”
White House Redux
With President Harrison’s wife dying and the president not campaigning, Grover didn’t campaign either. No one was surprised when Grover won the election, and Frances moved back to the White House just as she had predicted. Inauguration day was cold but the Clevelands swept into the house with Baby Ruth (yes, the candy bar was named after her!) and their three dachshunds. They resumed their usual schedule of riding together every day at 4 pm.
By May, she was pregnant again. However their happiness was tempered by the finding of cancer in Grover’s mouth. Grover wanted to keep this serious condition from the American people so he staged a boat ride to their Massachusetts home on a friend’s yacht. A team of doctors was brought on the boat and Grover underwent major surgery on the water between New York City and their home, aided by a dense fog which gave them cover for the press. A heavily pregnant Frances was with Ruth at Gray Gables, not knowing whether her husband had survived or not.
After a grueling surgery and recuperation, Grover was fitted with a rubber jaw that gave him a normal appearance and allowed him to talk. Rumors flew about the real cause of his “dental work” as it was explained to the press, but Grover kept mum until the story broke when they got back to Washington at the end of August.
Frances was too busy to care about the press as she gave birth to their second daughter, Esther, on September 9, 1893 in the White House – the first (and to date only!) presidential child born there. With two little ones, Frances got tired of the press intrusions, closing the gates of the White House to the public when they were out after several scary encounters and kidnapping plots. She cut back on entertaining (although she hosted one reception with 6000 people!) to focus on her family. She started a White House kindergarten for Ruth and kept involved in her charity work.
The financial downturn in the country depressed all in Washington, making Grover’s last years in politics not easy. Frances stayed close to home, becoming pregnant again. She gave birth to their third daughter, Marion, at Gray Gables on July 7, 1895. With a new president elected in 1896, Grover and Frances were ready to retire with their growing family.
Growth and Tragedy
On Inauguration Day, 1897, Frances was once again expecting and warmly said a personal goodbye to all of the White House staff. She and Grover moved to Princeton, New Jersey where he worked at the university along with fellow professor, Woodrow Wilson, whose daughters were playmates of Ruth. Their fourth child and first son, Richard, was born at their Princeton home, called Westland, on October 30, 1897.
Frances (Smithsonian) and Grover (Library of Congress)
These years weren’t kind to the Clevelands with Grover’s health declining – his weight exceeded 300 pounds – and her mother’s husband dying which led to her coming to live with the Clevelands. This didn’t deter the growth of their family with their fifth child, Francis, being born on July 18, 1903.
Tragedy struck at Gray Gables on January 7, 1904 when little twelve-year-old Ruth died of diphtheria. Frances and Grover abandoned the home, never to return. Grover’s health continued its steady decline, and Frances had her hands full with taking care of an invalid husband while raising the four remaining children.
Grover died of stomach cancer on June 24, 1908 and was buried in a Princeton cemetery with Ruth. Frances did not want a state funeral and kept the memorial service quiet and understated.
A New Love
Frances was almost 44 when she became a widow – almost the same age as her husband was when they married. She took her mother and children to Europe to escape the heartache at home and continued her involvement in charities and her alma mater, Wells College.
Four years after Grover’s death, Frances found love again with a dashing Wells archeology professor, Dr. Thomas Preston. He was a young-looking 50 years old and especially popular with the female undergraduates. They married on February 10, 1913, making her the first presidential widow to remarry. Preston had many of the same interests as Frances, and they traveled extensively to Europe, South America, and Asia. He was a gifted musician and they enjoyed spending time together. Unlike Grover, he paid attention to her pursuits, even learning to crochet since she knitted.
They were in Europe when war broke out in 1914, separated by the Swiss-German border. She was with her sick mother in Switzerland and secured passage back home without knowing where her husband was or if he could get out of Germany. He came back on a different ship and was arrested for his German ties before being released. They both became involved in the National Security League and aligned more with the Republican stance on the war.
Frances’ daughter, Esther, went to England as a volunteer and married a British soldier in Westminster Abbey in March of 1918. Marion had married by this time as well and Richard enlisted in the Marines. After the war, Frances traveled to England to see Esther who was expecting a baby and also traveled to Colorado to visit Marion’s new baby.
Frances continued her charitable work, becoming involved in the needlework guild which provided over two million pieces of clothes for the poor in one year alone. As a board member of the YWCA, Frances took a world tour through Asia, India, and Egypt, visiting Esther again.
Her life was now consumed with her children and their families. Marion’s marriage ended in divorce but she quickly remarried a man who would serve as a prosecutor in the Nuremberg trials. Richard was a well-known lawyer and Francis became a stage actor.
Frances’ eyesight started failing, and she taught herself Braille. She never accepted the widow’s pension given to her by Congress but did keep her franking rights, serving as a prolific letter writer. She lived long enough to see the end of World War II and vote for Harry S. Truman. She attended a White House dinner and was introduced by Truman’s daughter to General (and future president) Dwight Eisenhower who didn’t recognize her, asking where she had lived in Washington. She informed him it was the very same place Truman’s daughter was now living!
In 1947, Frances traveled to Baltimore to celebrate Richard’s 50th birthday and died in her sleep there on October 29, 1947. Her funeral was held in the Presbyterian Church in Princeton and she was buried with Grover and Ruth.
Legacy
No other First Lady captured the public’s fascination like Frances until Jackie Kennedy over sixty years later. As the youngest First Lady to date and the only one to marry in the White House, Frances remains one of the most interesting and unique First Ladies.
Unfortunately, she has fallen out of the public’s consciousness, which I believe is a consequence of her husband’s standing in the pantheon of presidents. Plus with the lack of a presidential library or museum or even a home open for touring, it’s hard for the general public to learn about this First Lady.
However, I can’t help but look at the parallels between her life and our more modern First Ladies like Jackie Kennedy who was also a young, beautiful mother in the White House or Melania Trump who is facing a potential return to White House in non-consecutive terms. Frances did all of these things first and should be recognized as a trailblazer who maintained some semblance of normal family life amidst the watchful eyes of the adoring public.
My Time with Frances
With no real primary sources in her own writing, it is hard to form a bond with Frances. However I learned to greatly admire this young woman who had so much poise and wisdom at such an early age. I cannot imagine any twenty-one-year-old in our day and age taking on such a gargantuan task with success. She must have been a well-adjusted young woman!
I have to say, their love story was a little icky to me. Maybe it’s looking at it from a modern angle, but the fact that he was her father’s friend and waited for her to grow up just strikes me as a little suspect. I know times were different then but it’s still strange. I am glad she seemed to have found a lasting and more compatible love with Dr. Preston.
I’m also amazed at all of the major events Frances lived through. Can you imagine being born while the Civil War is still being fought and living through the Gilded Age, WWI, the Great Depression, and WWII? She had a rich, full life and should be remembered more!
Travels with Frances
Frances spent most of her life in the northeast between New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Unfortunately most of her homes are either torn down or remain private.
New Jersey
Princeton:
The graves of Frances, Grover, and Ruth can be found near their church, now called Nassau Presbyterian.
France and Grover’s former home is a private residence.
Grover Cleveland Birthplace Historic Site, Caldwell (currently closed)
While Frances never lived here, this is a good place to learn about her husband’s humble beginnings.
New York
Buffalo:
Frances’ birthplace is still standing but is a private home. You can see a historical marker outside.
While focused on presidents, this museum is a must-see to learn more about Frances’ hometown. Don’t miss Grover’s statue at City Hall as well.
There is a historical marker where Frances lived during high school. There is another marker nearby about her time in Medina.
Massachusetts
While France and Grover’s “Summer White House” burned down after it was turned into a hotel, there is a neighborhood built on the land. You can visit the Gray Gables beach and there is a home built on the former mansion’s site that was inspired by Gray Gables.
New Hampshire
This presidential retreat is now a private home.
Maryland
Visit the site of their honeymoon cottage to see a historical marker.
Washington, DC
Read about Frances’ home in what’s now called Cleveland Park here.
Smithsonian National Museum of American History
You can see one of Frances’ beautiful dresses along with its interchangeable bodices at the museum’s First Ladies exhibit (see Frances featured at the entrance!). There is also a display on White House weddings including Frances and Grover’s ceremony and even has their wedding announcement!
To Learn More
Books to Read
For such a trailblazing First Lady, there are not many books written about Frances or even Grover!
Links are Amazon affiliate links. Be sure to see my Bookshop.org list for all of the books related to my Booking It Through History: First Ladies project.
Nonfiction:
Frank: The Story of Frances Folsom Cleveland, America’s Youngest First Lady by Annette B. Dunlap
This is the only book written about Frances Cleveland and is an easy, quick read with primary sources including some letters.
A Man of Iron: The Turbulent Life and Improbable Presidency of Grover Cleveland by Troy Senik
A good, quick read about Cleveland with many details about Frances.
Fiction:
First Daughter by Marlie Parker Wasserman
New book alert – this speculative novel about the kidnapping of little baby Ruth just came out in spring of 2026! Review coming soon!
Podcasts
FLOTUS 4eva – a little snarky but had some fun discussions of Frances’ life
TV shows
C-SPAN First Ladies Image and Image – this episode takes you behind the scenes of the Smithsonian to see some of Frances’ items not on display and even has a video of Frances from later in her life and an interview with her granddaughter!
Websites
National First Ladies Library and Museum – look at Frances’ bonnet in their collection (photo used with permission). She was a fashionista!
White House Historical Society
- Ornament: Just look at this beautiful White House Christmas ornament commemorating Frances’ wedding at the White House. It’s one of my favorite ornaments!
- Since the Clevelands had two separate terms, there is also another White House ornament honoroing their second term.
Frances Cleveland remains our youngest First Lady and the only one to marry in the White House. She was a beautiful young woman thrust into the spotlight at an early age, but she handled it all with grace and composure. She is a First Lady who should be remembered more!
I didn’t expect her to be so interesting! Shame on me, but thanks for sharing! I’ve added the book about her to my TBR.