The National Park Service on Monday suddenly withdrew its plan to remove the statue of William Penn from the site of his home during a "rehabilitation" of Welcome Park in Philadelphia.
NPS had opened a public comment period on Monday but by 6:30 p.m., it was closed.
"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 NPS said in a statement.
The NPS faced widespread backlash after announcing its plans to update the park to "provide a more welcoming, accurate, and inclusive experience for visitors," according to a news release, which would include an “expanded interpretation of the Native American history of Philadelphia."
You decided to remove the William Penn statue from the ONLY site in the city dedicated to the life and ideas of its founder? Because *some people* are uncomfortable with it? Absolutely shameful. https://t.co/YyVVXhy4oc pic.twitter.com/DI5ULzl9eR
— JLaw (@yoopermomma) January 7, 2024
You’re removing the statue of William Penn - a paragon of religious liberty and self-government who influenced our U.S. Founding Fathers - from the site of his home in the city he founded.
— Taylor Morgan (@tlrdrkmrgn) January 7, 2024
Shame. Scrap this plan.
The reversal came after Democrat Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro got involved.
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
In its update, NPS said it still plans to update Welcome Park ahead of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.
"Upon completion of all the necessary internal reviews, the park looks forward to engaging in a robust public process to consider options for refurbishing the park in the coming years," it said in a statement.