William Penn statue will remain in Welcome Park, officials say after public outcry

The statue of William Penn will remain in Philadelphia's historic Welcome Park, state and federal officials said following public outcry over proposed plans to remove the statue.

The National Parks Service said last week that it would remove a statue of Penn, the founder of the British colony of Pennsylvania, to "rehabilitate" the park to become "more welcoming, accurate, and inclusive," but the agency reversed the decision on Monday.

"My team has been in contact with the Biden Administration throughout the day to correct this decision," Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro said Monday on X, formerly Twitter, after the agency flipped on the decision to remove the statute. "I’m pleased Welcome Park will remain the rightful home of this William Penn statue — right here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Penn founded."

The National Parks Service opened a period for public comment starting Monday for input on the park's planned rehabilitation, but the agency withdrew the proposal and closed the comment period that day.

"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 National Parks Service said Monday.

The proposed park make over also included the removal of the Slate Roof House model, a replica of Penn's home that was located at the park's current location, but officials did not comment on plans for the miniature home's future.

The proposed renovation was withdrawn following heavy criticism online. 

"The Biden Administration is taking down a statue of William Penn. Not Robert E Lee, not Stonewall Jackson, but William Penn. These people hate America, there’s no doubt anymore," commentator David Marcus said on X. While Lee and Jackson are remembered as Confederate generals, Penn was known for championing religious freedom and supporting friendly relations with Native Americans. 

Tom Fitton, president of the conservative legal watchdog group Judicial Watch, posted: "Anti-American leftists in Biden regime want to remove another statue, this time of William Penn. They're calling it, in true Marxist style, 'rehabilitation.'"

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