Slavery Exhibits Reinstalled at President's House in Philadelphia

Displays about slavery at the historic site were restored nearly a month after they were removed by order of the Trump administration.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Exhibits and educational materials on the history of slavery that were removed from the President's House Site in Philadelphia were reinstalled on February 19, 2026, nearly one month after the Trump administration ordered they be taken down. The National Park Service confirmed the pieces of signage restored are the same plaques that were first removed from the historic site in January. The reinstallation came one day after a judge said the Trump administration was not complying with her order to reinstall the items and issued a deadline to have the materials back up by 5 p.m. Friday.

Why it matters

The President's House Site in Philadelphia is an important historical location that includes displays about the nine enslaved people who once lived there during the presidencies of George Washington and John Adams. The removal of these slavery exhibits by the Trump administration was seen by many as an attempt to "rewrite and whitewash" history, sparking outrage across the city and country. The reinstallation of the displays is a victory for those who fought to preserve this important part of American history.

The details

The exhibits were put back up one day after a judge said the Trump administration was not complying with her order to reinstall the items and issued a deadline to have the materials reinstalled by 5 p.m. Friday. The judge on Friday denied the Trump administration's motion for a stay, meaning that the 5 p.m. deadline stood. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker briefly visited the site Thursday and thanked NPS workers for carefully restoring the displays.

  • On Jan. 22, 2026, the informational signs were removed with almost no warning.
  • On Feb. 16, the judge ordered the Trump administration to restore the historic site to the way it was before the signs were removed.
  • On Feb. 19, 2026, the slavery exhibits were reinstalled at the President's House in Philadelphia.

The players

Cherelle Parker

The mayor of Philadelphia who visited the site on Thursday and thanked NPS workers for restoring the displays.

Cynthia M. Rufe

The judge who ordered the Trump administration to restore the historic site to the way it was before the signs were removed.

Josh Shapiro

The governor of Pennsylvania who filed an amicus brief in support of the city's lawsuit to have the signs put back.

Michael Coard

A member of the Avenging The Ancestors Coalition, an organization of African American historians and activists that was a leader in the effort to get the slavery exhibit signage restored.

Donald Trump

The former president who issued an executive order called "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History" that led to the removal of the slavery exhibits.

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What they’re saying

“Today we celebrate the return of our history at this important site. We are thankful for all the supporters across the city to get us to this point. We know that this is not the end of the legal road. We will handle all legal challenges that arise with the same rigor and gravity as we have done thus far.”

— Cherelle Parker, Mayor of Philadelphia (CBS News)

“We were ecstatic. But we understand that this is a lawless administration. And even if we win in the courts, we don't know they're going to do the right thing with it. But first, we gotta win in the courts.”

— Michael Coard, Member of the Avenging The Ancestors Coalition (CBS News)

“Well, it's important. It's important. It happened. It happened, and it's part of our history. You can't deny it. This is not just about 6th and Market. It's not just about Philadelphia. It's not just about Pennsylvania. This was the right thing to do for our country.”

— Mary Ann Cardillino (CBS News)

“I am hopefully optimistic that, based on what has happened since they were taken down, the outrage that flew across the country, if not the world, that this decision will stand.”

— Fred Miller (CBS News)

What’s next

The Trump administration has filed an appeal of the judge's order to restore the slavery exhibits, so the legal battle over the displays is expected to continue.

The takeaway

The reinstallation of the slavery exhibits at the President's House in Philadelphia is a victory for those who fought to preserve this important part of American history and prevent the whitewashing of the country's past. However, the legal battle is not over, as the Trump administration has appealed the judge's order, underscoring the ongoing tensions around how to accurately and sensitively represent the history of slavery in the United States.