Judge Orders Restoration of Slavery Displays at Washington's House

The court ruled the government cannot erase historical truths at national monuments.

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to temporarily restore displays about George Washington's ownership of enslaved people at a monument on the site of his former house in Philadelphia. The judge said the government's claim to have the power to erase and alter historical accounts at the country's monuments echoed George Orwell's dystopian novel '1984'.

Why it matters

The case highlights the ongoing ideological battles over how American history is portrayed at national monuments and parks under the Trump administration, which has sought to remove exhibits and displays that it sees as promoting 'liberal viewpoints'.

The details

The judge granted a preliminary injunction to the City of Philadelphia, which had sued the Interior Department and the National Park Service over their decision to remove the displays about slavery at the President's House Site, a monument on the spot of a home used by Washington and President John Adams. The Park Service had claimed the displays were taken down to ensure 'accuracy, honesty and alignment with shared national values'.

  • On February 16, 2026, the federal judge issued the preliminary injunction.
  • Last month, National Park Service workers removed the displays about slavery at the President's House Site.

The players

Judge Cynthia M. Rufe

A federal judge who granted the preliminary injunction ordering the restoration of the displays about slavery at the President's House Site.

City of Philadelphia

The city that sued the Interior Department and the National Park Service over the removal of the displays about slavery at the President's House Site.

Interior Department

The federal agency that oversees the National Park Service and made the decision to remove the displays about slavery at the President's House Site.

National Park Service

The federal agency that removed the displays about slavery at the President's House Site.

George Washington

The former U.S. president who owned enslaved people and had a house in Philadelphia where some of those enslaved people lived.

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What they’re saying

“As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell's '1984' now existed, with its motto 'Ignorance Is Strength,' this court is now asked to determine whether the federal government has the power it claims — to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts.”

— Judge Cynthia M. Rufe, Federal Judge (New York Times)

“Each person who visits the President's House and does not learn of the realities of founding-era slavery, receives a false account of this country's history.”

— Judge Cynthia M. Rufe, Federal Judge (New York Times)

What’s next

Unless stayed by a higher court, the injunction will remain in effect until Judge Rufe enters her final ruling on the case.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing battles over how American history is portrayed at national monuments, with the Trump administration seeking to remove exhibits and displays that it sees as promoting 'liberal viewpoints'. The judge's ruling signals that the government does not have the power to simply erase or alter historical facts and truths at these sites.