The National Park Service withdrew a proposed rehabilitation proposal to Welcome Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which would have removed the statue of Pennsylvania founder William Penn.
The proposal, which was announced on Friday, would have “removed and not reinstalled” the statue of Penn from the park as part of its efforts to create a “more welcoming, accurate, and inclusive experience for visitors.” The NPS made the announcement as it was seeking public input on the efforts to include an expanded “interpretation of the Native American history of Philadelphia” at the park.
On Monday, the NPS announced it had withdrawn the “preliminary draft proposal” that it claims had been “released prematurely” and had not been properly reviewed internally before being released. It also said that “no changes to the William Penn statue are planned.”
Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) applauded the reversal in a post on X, formerly Twitter, saying he had been talking with President Joe Biden’s administration, which has oversight of the NPS, to “correct the decision.”
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
“My team has been in contact with the Biden Administration throughout the day to correct this decision,” Shapiro said. “I’m pleased Welcome Park will remain the rightful home of this William Penn statue — right here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Penn founded.”
Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) also said he had “heard concerns” about the proposal and added he was “pleased to report that there are no plans to remove William Penn at this time” in a post on X on Monday.
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The initial proposal was met with swift backlash, leading to Monday’s reversal, with many claiming the efforts would be erasing history.
Welcome Park, named after the ship that brought Penn to Philadelphia, sits on the former land of Penn’s home and was completed in 1982.
