National Park Service backtracks on removing beloved statue after widespread ridicule

The National Park Service reversed its decision to remove a famous statue from Welcome Park in Philadelphia, according to a Monday statement from the agency.

A statue of William Penn, who founded the then-colony of Pennsylvania in 1681 and played a significant role in American politics, will not be removed from Welcome Park after deliberation from the National Park Service, according to The Associated Press. The agency first planned to remove the statue as part of “rehabilitation” efforts for the park but backpedaled on that commitment after public backlash.

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

“Independence National Historical Park has withdrawn the review of a draft proposal to rehabilitate Welcome Park and closed the public comment period,” the National Park Service said in a statement. “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 National Park Service initially planned to remove the statue because it would “provide a more welcoming, accurate and inclusive experience for visitors,” according to a statement from the agency on Jan. 5. The plan also included an “expanded interpretation of the Native American history of Philadelphia” and new infrastructure renovations.

The plan quickly received backlash from the public, according to Fox News. Republican state Rep. Bryan Cutler said the plan was “another sad example of the left in this country scraping the bottom of the barrel of wokeism to advance an extreme ideology and a nonsensical view of history,” according to the AP.

Democratic Philadelphia Gov. Josh Shapiro said Monday that his staff had been “in contact” with the Biden administration that day regarding the statue’s proposed removal.

“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,” Shapiro tweeted.

The National Park Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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