Federal Judge Orders Park Service to Restore Slavery Exhibits at Philadelphia's President's House Site

Ruling says government cannot unilaterally erase or rewrite documented history at Independence National Historical Park

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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A federal judge has ordered the National Park Service (NPS) to restore an exhibit about slavery at the 'President's House' site in Philadelphia, ruling that the federal government cannot unilaterally erase or rewrite documented history at Independence National Historical Park. The court found the City of Philadelphia is likely to succeed on several legal theories, including that NPS acted arbitrarily and capriciously, contrary to federal statutes and cooperative agreements, and beyond its legal authority.

Why it matters

The President's House is an outdoor exhibit that tells the story of the first presidential residence and the enslaved people held there by George Washington. The court warned that executive agencies cannot rewrite established historical fact simply because political leadership changes, and that allowing the removals to stand would cause harms like the erasure and distortion of public history, damage to public trust, and loss of the City's ability to present a truthful account of its own past.

The details

In the 2000s, the City of Philadelphia and NPS jointly developed the President's House exhibit through a 2006 Cooperative Agreement, with the City contributing millions of dollars. The exhibit's official development plan explicitly said it must interpret the house, the systems and methods of slavery, African‑American Philadelphia, and the move to freedom for the enslaved. In 2022, NPS formally designated the President's House as part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. In 2026, NPS removed 34 educational panels and shut off video exhibits at the site, citing an executive order from President Trump that directed Interior to ensure federal historical sites do not 'inappropriately disparage' Americans of the past.

  • In 1948, Congress created Independence National Historical Park and explicitly told the Interior Secretary to work through 'cooperative agreements' with the City of Philadelphia.
  • In 1950, the City and federal government signed an agreement confirming Philadelphia's ownership of Independence Hall and surrounding land, and requiring mutual consent for major alterations or for adding or removing monuments and markers.
  • In the 2000s, the City and NPS jointly developed the President's House exhibit through a 2006 Cooperative Agreement and amendments.
  • In 2022, NPS formally designated the President's House as part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
  • In January 2026, NPS removed 34 educational panels and shut off video exhibits at the President's House.

The players

National Park Service (NPS)

The federal agency that manages the President's House site as part of Independence National Historical Park.

City of Philadelphia

The local government that owns key land and buildings in the park and invested millions of dollars in the President's House exhibit.

Oney Judge

An enslaved person who escaped from the President's House while it was the first presidential residence.

President Trump

The former U.S. president who issued an executive order directing Interior to ensure federal historical sites do not 'inappropriately disparage' Americans of the past.

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What they’re saying

“All history was a palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary. In no case would it have been possible, once the deed was done, to prove that any falsification had taken place.”

— George Orwell (1984)

What’s next

The judge's preliminary injunction orders the NPS to reinstall all panels, displays, and video exhibits at the President's House exactly as they existed on January 21, 2026, and bars the NPS from making any further changes to the site without a mutual written agreement with the City of Philadelphia. The broader lawsuit will continue while this injunction is in place.

The takeaway

This case highlights the importance of preserving accurate, documented history at national historical sites, and the limits on executive agencies' ability to unilaterally rewrite the past to align with changing political priorities. The court's strong language underscores the dangers of erasing or distorting public history, and the need to uphold the rule of law and respect cooperative agreements between federal and local governments.