"Empty bolt holes and shadows are all that remains on the brick walls where explanatory panels were displayed at the President's House Site, where George and Martha Washington lived with the people they owned as property during the years when Philadelphia was the nation's capital. One woman cried silently at their absence. Someone left a bouquet of flowers. A hand-lettered sign said "Slavery was real.""
"The panels came down because Trump's order requires federal agencies to review interpretive materials to "ensure accuracy, honesty, and alignment with shared national values," an Interior Department statement said. It called the city's lawsuit frivolous, aimed at "demeaning our brave Founding Fathers who set the brilliant road map for the greatest country in the world." The department did not answer questions about what will replace the exhibits that were removed."
National Park Service removed an exhibit on slavery at Independence National Historical Park's President's House Site in Philadelphia after an executive order directed federal agencies to review interpretive materials for alignment with stated national values. The removed panels included names and biographical details of nine people enslaved by George and Martha Washington; their names remain engraved on a cement wall at the entrance. Empty bolt holes marked where explanatory panels had been displayed; visitors reacted emotionally, leaving flowers and a sign reading "Slavery was real." Philadelphia sued Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and acting NPS Director Jessica Bowron to stop permanent removal. The Interior Department called the lawsuit frivolous and offered no replacement plans.
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