Philadelphia Sues After Slavery Exhibit Is Taken Down at Historic President’s House Site [Video]

Several interpretive signs addressing slavery were taken down Thursday at the President’s House site in Old City Philadelphia, setting off a legal and political response from city leaders and preservation advocates.

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The outdoor exhibit at Sixth and Market streets sits on the former residence of Presidents George Washington and John Adams. When the site was developed and opened to the public in 2010, community activists pushed for a fuller account of the enslaved people who lived and labored there. Their stories ultimately became a core part of the installation, according to CBS News.

By Thursday afternoon, those panels were gone. The City of Philadelphia responded by filing a lawsuit in federal court seeking the immediate restoration of the signage. The filing argues that existing agreements between the city and the National Park Service require disputes to be handled through communication or other non-binding resolution methods. According to the lawsuit, the Park Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior moved forward without city approval and without consultation.

Paul Steinke, executive director of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, said National Park Service crews removed the signs.

“The decision to do this appears to be made because the President’s House Site memorialized the nine enslaved individuals that were held there against their will by President Washington and his wife, Martha, and this is the only federal historic site that commemorates the history of slavery in America,” Steinke said.

The removal follows a September executive order signed by Donald Trump titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” The order calls for eliminating what it describes as divisive narratives and specifically references Independence National Historical Park. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum was given until July 4, 2026, to complete any changes ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Philadelphia officials pushed back quickly. Gov. Josh Shapiro wrote online, “Donald Trump will take any opportunity to rewrite and whitewash our history. But he picked the wrong city — and he sure as hell picked the wrong Commonwealth. We learn from our history in Pennsylvania, even when it’s painful.”

Rep. Brendan Boyle called the removal “absolutely unacceptable,” adding, “Philadelphia and the entire country deserve an honest accounting of our history, and this effort to hide it is wrong.”

City Council President Kenyatta Johnson echoed that view, saying, “History cannot be erased simply because it is uncomfortable. Removing items from the President’s House merely changes the landscape, not the historical record.”

As of Thursday evening, the National Park Service website for the President’s House continued to describe exhibits examining the contradiction between slavery and freedom, including perspectives from enslaved individuals who lived at the site.