Federal Appeal Judge Halts Repairs to Slavery Exhibit in Philadelphia

Ruling comes amid controversy over removal of educational panels honoring slaves at President's House site

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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The US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ordered the National Park Service (NPS) to stop repairs to a contested educational exhibit about slavery in Philadelphia, pending an expected appeal by the Trump administration. The controversy started when NPS workers removed the panels in response to an executive order claiming to counter 'ideological indoctrination' in accounts of America's history. The city sued, alleging NPS violated the Administrative Procedure Act and a prior agreement giving the city equal rights over the exhibit's content.

Why it matters

The President's House site in Philadelphia is an important historical location where George Washington and John Adams lived when the city was the nation's capital. The slavery exhibit aimed to educate visitors about the slaves who lived there, but its removal sparked outrage over attempts to whitewash America's history of slavery.

The details

On January 22, NPS workers removed the educational panels from the President's House site, which honored the slaves who lived there and taught about slavery in Colonial America. NPS took this action in response to Executive Order 14253, which claims to counter 'ideological indoctrination' in accounts of America's history. The city sued, alleging NPS violated the Administrative Procedure Act and a 2006 cooperative agreement that gave the city equal rights to decide the content of the President's House project. On February 17, a federal judge ordered NPS to fully restore the exhibit by February 20, but the appeals court has now halted that restoration pending further review.

  • On January 22, NPS workers removed the educational panels from the President's House site.
  • On February 17, a federal judge ordered NPS to fully restore the exhibit by February 20.
  • On February 21, the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ordered NPS to halt the repairs, pending an expected appeal by the Trump administration.

The players

National Park Service (NPS)

The federal agency responsible for maintaining the President's House site in Philadelphia.

Judge Thomas Hardiman

A federal appeal judge who ordered NPS to halt the repairs to the slavery exhibit.

Judge Cynthia Rufe

A federal judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania who previously ordered NPS to fully restore the slavery exhibit.

Josh Shapiro

The Governor of Pennsylvania who backed the city's lawsuit against NPS over the removal of the slavery exhibit.

Donald Trump

The former US president whose executive order claiming to counter 'ideological indoctrination' prompted NPS to remove the slavery exhibit panels.

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What they’re saying

“Here in Pennsylvania, we learn from our history – even when it's painful. We don't erase it. Donald Trump may want to whitewash our shared history – but we will not let him win.”

— Josh Shapiro, Governor of Pennsylvania

What’s next

The Trump administration is expected to appeal the federal appeals court's order to halt the repairs to the slavery exhibit at the President's House site in Philadelphia.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing debate over how to accurately and sensitively present America's history of slavery, particularly at important historical sites. The controversy underscores the need for balanced, fact-based educational exhibits that don't whitewash or erase painful aspects of the past.