The National Park Service has withdrawn a proposal to permanently remove a statue of William Penn as part of its rehabilitation of Welcome Park in Old City, saying the plan was “released prematurely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.
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