Court Allows Return of Historical Panels at George Washington’s Philadelphia Home

An appeals court ruled on Friday that the Trump administration can reintroduce interpretive panels at President George Washington’s residence in Philadelphia. These panels have faced criticism for allegedly downplaying the history of slavery at the site, which is also where the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776. The National Park Service was contacted for comment following this decision.

The new educational panels are set to replace those installed in 2010. The original panels detailed the lives of nine enslaved individuals who lived with George and Martha Washington during the 1790s when Philadelphia served briefly as the U.S. capital. The removal of these panels followed Trump’s 2025 executive order, directing that federally controlled historic sites avoid displays that might “disparage Americans past or living” and instead highlight the “greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people.”

Friday’s decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, located near the President’s House site, was a technical ruling to enforce a previous decision made last month. The panel consisted of judges appointed by Presidents Trump, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. They concluded that a lower court had erred in mandating the removal of the newer interpretive panels. The government, on Thursday, sought permission to reinstall these panels without further delay, arguing that they were prepared for immediate installation. Court filings indicate that the content of the new panels also addresses slavery.

Concerns exist that the panels, formulated to comply with Trump’s directive, might present a history that minimizes past injustices in favor of a more celebratory narrative.

The government’s website displays images of the forthcoming panels, which include content about the enslaved individuals living at the site, the abolitionist movement, the Constitution’s treatment of slavery, the end of slavery in Pennsylvania, and both Washington’s and John Adams’ views on slavery. Information related to the 20th-century Civil Rights movement is also present. However, the new panels omit some details from their predecessors, such as a slave trade routes map and a slavery timeline, and avoid titles like “The Dirty Business of Slavery.”

The City of Philadelphia, opposing the removal of the earlier panels, sought to halt the new installation. On Friday, the city requested the appeals court delay its earlier order to allow Philadelphia more time to respond to the Trump administration’s request. Philadelphia argues that the President’s House site carries considerable significance to both the city and the nation, resulting from years of collaboration between federal and local authorities to narrate a vital yet understated historical account.

Earlier this year, about half of the original panels were reinstalled before a court ordered the work to pause.