Category: Delaware Tribe

We have been discussing the removal of statues nationwide from cities and colleges. The National Park Service is now receiving fire over a plan to remove the statue of William Penn from a Philadelphia park commemorating his founding of Pennsylvania. The park is near his former home. The Biden Administration is explaining that removing Penn from a park in Pennsylvania will “provide a more welcoming, accurate, and inclusive experience for visitors.” Nothing says Sylvania like a Penn-free park.

The park was built by the Friends of Independence National Historical Park in 1982 to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the founding of Philadelphia with the arrival of Penn’s ship, Welcome.

In August 1682, Penn took 100 passengers and 36 crew members on a harrowing voyage from Deal, England to Pennsylvania. It took roughly 58 days in this crowded ship that was only 120 feet in length and 24 feet wide. The 100 passengers were mostly part of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, from Sussex, England.

The NPS announced that it wants to remove the statue as part of an “expanded interpretation of the Native American history of Philadelphia” being developed in collaboration with representatives from the Haudenosaunee, the Delaware Nation, the Delaware Tribe of Indians, the Shawnee Tribe and the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma.

The NPS site soliciting suggestions appears to rule out the retention of the statue as one of those options: “The Penn statue and Slate Roof house model will be removed and not reinstalled.”

I personally think that including contextual elements on the Native American tribes is a good idea. That can be achieved without the removal of the Penn statue and hopefully the NPS can still be convinced to opt for a design that still retains the focus…

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Plans to remove a statue of William Penn from Welcome Park in Old City are no longer part of the U.S. National Park Service plans to reimagine the space.

“Independence National Historical Park has withdrawn the review of a draft proposal to rehabilitate Welcome Park and closed the public comment period,” the parks service posted on its website late Monday. The statement also said the draft proposal was “released prematurely and had not been subject to a complete internal agency review.”

Gov. Josh Shapiro said he was in contact with the Biden administration throughout the day “to correct this decision,” in a post on social media. “I’m pleased Welcome Park will remain the rightful home of this William Penn statue — right here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Penn founded.”

When it comes to historic locations operated by the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) in Philadelphia, Welcome Park is not on the top of most tourists’ lists. 

While nearly 2.7 million people visited Independence National Historic Park in 2022, most of those visits focused around Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Although only a few blocks away, Welcome Park, at 2nd and Walnut streets, gets much less attention. 

Opened in 1982, the park’s open plaza design reflects Penn’s original grid plans for the streets of Philadelphia, according to The Cultural Landscape Foundation. The park is named after the ship “Welcome,” which Penn arrived on when he first came to Philadelphia.

That lack of attention changed this week, as the NPS originally announced plans for upgrades at the park to fix “deteriorating” conditions and better live up to its namesake and be more, well, welcoming.

Among the initially proposed changes: new benches, exhibit panels, and a ceremonial gathering space — but also the removal of…

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The National Park Service has withdrawn a proposal to permanently remove a statue of William Penn as part of its rehabilitation of Welcome Park in Old City, saying the plan was “released prematurely and had not been subject to a complete internal agency review.”

The sudden reversal posted Monday evening came after a barrage of complaints, often spearheaded by Republicans. But high-profile Democrats such as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro also voiced concerns. In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Shapiro wrote on Monday evening, “My team has been in contact with the Biden Administration throughout the day to correct this decision. I’m pleased Welcome Park will remain the rightful home of this William Penn statue.”

The National Park Service said Monday evening that no changes to the William Penn statue are now planned, but that plans to rehabilitate the park will continue.

“The National Park Service (NPS) remains committed to rehabilitating Welcome Park as the nation prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026,” the statement said. “Upon completion of all the necessary internal reviews, the park looks forward to engaging in a robust public process to consider options for refurbishing the park in the coming years.”

It’s a sharp change from an announcement by NPS on Friday to remove the centerpiece statue of William Penn permanently and redesign the park to highlight Native American history. That plan marked a major shift, considering that the park was built on the site of Penn’s home, the Slate Roof House, and is named for the ship, Welcome, that transported him from England. Penn actually landed first in 1682 near the intersection of the Delaware River and Chester Creek in Chester.

» READ MORE: William Penn once wanted Chester to be Philadelphia. Here’s what…

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William Penn Statue (6ABC Philly)

In its continued attempts to erase American history, the Biden administration was preparing to tear down a statue of William Penn in Philadelphia.

However, late Monday, the National Park Service reversed its decision to remove a famous statue of William Penn from Philadelphia’s Welcome Park. (Updated Story Here)

For those who may not know, Penn is the 17th-century English religious leader who founded both Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.

The Penn monument, which sits on the grounds of his 17th-century home, was set to demolished as part of a “rehabilitation” plan for the park that honors his contribution to U.S. history.

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Penn’s “rehabilitation” by the Biden administration would have dispatched him to the dustbin of history while retelling his story from the perspective of Native Americans.

The National Park Service explained the project in a press release issued late Friday afternoon:

“The proposed rehabilitation of Welcome Park includes expanded interpretation of the Native American history of Philadelphia and was developed in consultation with representatives of the indigenous nations of the Haudenosaunee, the Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe of Indians, the Shawnee Tribe, and the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma,” the release said.

“The reimagined Welcome Park maintains certain aspects of the original design such as the street grid, the rivers and the east wall while adding a new planted buffer on three sides, and a ceremonial gathering space with circular benches.”

“The Penn statue and Slate Roof house model will be removed and not reinstalled,” the NPS added. “In a…

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According to a Fox News report, the Biden Administration is planning on removing a statue of William Penn in Welcome Park in Philadelphia, PA. The park is named after the ship Penn took to Philadelphia in 1682. The proposed “rehabilitation” of the park includes a focus on Native American history.

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From Fox News:

The “rehabilitation” proposal for Welcome Park is meant to “provide a more welcoming, accurate, and inclusive experience for visitors,” [The National Park Service] said in a news release. It “includes expanded interpretation of the Native American history of Philadelphia,” and was developed in collaboration with representatives from the Haudenosaunee, the Delaware Nation, the Delaware Tribe of Indians, the Shawnee Tribe and the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma.

“Leave the statue right where it is,” one user wrote in response to Independence National Historical Park’s tweet.

“My input is defund and disband the national park service,” another wrote.

…

Should NPS go through with the proposal, Welcome Park will still have the street grid, the rivers and the east wall, which are aspects of the original design. It would add a planted buffer on three sides, and a gathering space, including circular benches.

More over at Fox News:

Biden admin removing William Penn statue in ‘rehabilitation’ of park commemorating founding of Pennsylvania https://t.co/VMWJB77KbS

— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 7, 2024

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PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — The Independence National Historical Park has withdrawn the review of a draft proposal to rehabilitate Welcome Park in Philadelphia’s Old City neighborhood, which included removing the William Penn statue.

Officials say the preliminary draft proposal — which suggested the permanent removal of Penn’s statue and the Slate Roof House model — had been released prematurely and had not been subject to a complete internal agency review.

Because of this, it is being retracted. No changes to the William Penn statue are planned, according to park authorities.

After the proposal was withdrawn, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro posted a message on X, formerly known as Twitter, stating that his office had spoken with the Biden Administration about the possible statue removal.

“I’m pleased Welcome Park will remain the rightful home of this William Penn statue – right here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Penn founded,” said Shapiro.

Welcome Park at 2nd Street and Sansom Walk is located on the site of William Penn’s former home — the Slate Roof House — and is named after the ship, Welcome, which brought Penn to Philadelphia.

The site, funded by the Independence Historical Trust, was completed in 1982.

Park officials say they are still committed to rehabilitating Welcome Park as the nation prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.

“Upon completion of all the necessary internal reviews, the park looks forward to engaging in a robust public process to consider options for refurbishing the park in the coming years,” said the Independence National Historical Park in a news release.

Before the proposal was withdrawn, some residents across Philadelphia had mixed feelings about the potential changes coming to the 41-year-old park.

Pennsylvania House Representative Leader Bryan Cutler thought that taking away Penn’s statue would be an attempt to erase history.

“Let’s start with the…

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CORRECTION, Jan. 8, 2024: The statue of William Penn targeted for removal is on the ground in the “Welcome Park” in Philadelphia. An earlier version of this article confused it with another statue of the Pennsylvania founder atop City Hall.

The Biden administration is continuing its efforts to reshape American history.

In a news release Friday, the National Park Service, which is governed by the Department of the Interior, said it would remove the statue of Pennsylvania founder William Penn from the Welcome Park in Philadelphia in order to “rehabilitate” the area and “provide a more welcoming, accurate, and inclusive experience for visitors.”

“The park is located on the site of William Penn’s home, the Slate Roof House, and is named for the ship, Welcome, which transported Penn to Philadelphia,” the release said.

The statue, which was erected to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Penn’s founding of the colony of Pennsylvania, will be replaced by educational offerings about the history of Native American tribes, the NPS said.

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“The proposed rehabilitation of Welcome Park includes expanded interpretation of the Native American history of Philadelphia and was developed in consultation with representatives of the indigenous nations of the Haudenosaunee, the Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe of Indians, the Shawnee Tribe, and the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma,” it said.

“The Penn statue and Slate Roof house model will be removed and not reinstalled,” the park service said.

“In a separate and future effort, new exhibit panels will be installed on the south site wall to replace the Penn timeline,” it said.

Members of the public were encouraged to provide feedback on the plans through a controlled…

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The National Park Service (NPS) has withdrawn the review of a renovation plan that included the removal of the statue of William Penn from the site of his former Philadelphia home.

The NPS asked for input on the future for the park, located near the intersection of 2nd and Walnut Streets off Sansom Walk in Philadelphia’s Old City neighborhood, and they certainly received it — at least online.

The online site where the public was supposed to provide comment on the Welcome Park proposal on Monday—the first day of a 14-day period where the NPS were going to receive public input on the plan.

By 6:30 p.m. Monday night, the NPS said the public comment period was closed.

“The preliminary draft proposal, which was released prematurely and had not been subject to a complete internal agency review, is being retracted. No changes to the William Penn statue are planned,” the NPS said in a statement.

My team has been in contact with the Biden Administration throughout the day to correct this decision. I’m pleased Welcome Park will remain the rightful home of this William Penn statue — right here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Penn founded. https://t.co/awSTpcyrNp

— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) January 8, 2024

A social media post noting the proposed renovations had thousands of comments on the plan. The majority of online opinion seemed to oppose the idea with commenters focusing on the part of the plan that mentioned the proposed removal of the William Penn statue from the site of his former Philadelphia home, the Slate Roof House.

You’re removing the statue of William Penn – a paragon of religious liberty and self-government who influenced our U.S. Founding Fathers – from the site of his home in the city he founded.

Shame. Scrap…

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Joe Biden’s National Park Service under Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will remove the statue of William Penn from the park erected in 1982 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of his founding of the colony of Pennsylvania. The park is on the site of his original home in Philadelphia.

The park, located in Philadelphia near the Delaware River at Sansom and Second Streets, will be “rehabilitated” and that proposal will include an “expanded interpretation of the Native American history of Philadelphia.” The plan was “developed in consultations with the representatives of the indigenous nations of the Haudenosaunee, the Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe of Indians, the Shawnee Tribe, and the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma.”

While much of the original design of the park will remain, the statue of Penn and the model of his original home “will be removed and not reinstalled.” The Park Service claims that at some later date, which is not currently funded, there will be a new exhibit that mentions Penn and his work founding what became the state named for him as well as the city of Philadelphia.

The National Park Service, led by National Park Service Director Charles Sams III, who boasts Native American ancestry as does his boss Haaland, runs a substantial portion of Philadelphia’s historic sites. This agency is in charge of nearly 54 acres of historic sites in the Old City neighborhood, where the Penn home once stood. The Biden administration praised Haaland when she was appointed for becoming “the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary.” Equity, as the Biden White House recently stated, has “always, always” been “at the center of every policy.” 

These sites include Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Constitution drafted and debated, the Liberty Bell, Congress Hall,…

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