Some of the most iconic symbols of early America can be found in Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park, including the Liberty Bell, and Independence Hall, where in 1776 the Second Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence. In the same room in 1787, delegates to the Constitutional Convention wrote the U.S. Constitution.
The National Park Service (NPS) plans to remove one of the park’s historic markers: a statue of Pennsylvania’s founder, William Penn, which has been in place for 42 years.
Independence Hall was built to be the Pennsylvania State House, and it once held all three branches of Pennsylvania’s early government, so it is not surprising that the nearby site of Mr. Penn’s home was also preserved. The house is no longer standing, but Welcome Park marks the place where it once stood.
Removing Penn
The National Park Service announced Jan. 5 that it intends to “rehabilitate” Welcome Park, to provide a more “welcoming, accurate, and inclusive experience for visitors.”The statue of Mr. Penn and the Slate Roof House model will be removed and not reinstalled.
Welcome Park is listed as a non-contributing resource in the Independence National Historic Park District nominations, according to NPS documents.
Since it was formed, the condition of Welcome Park has deteriorated.
“Pavement has deteriorated due to age, misuse, and inadequate initial construction,” the NPS explains in a document. “The original flowering trees failed in intense summer heat due the lack of an irrigation system. While replacement trees have done well, the absence of established vegetation gives an appearance of abandonment and hampers the public’s ability to enjoy the site. Many of the original benches have been damaged or deteriorated and were subsequently removed. Insufficient lighting and a lack of cameras pose a security and safety risk to visitors and property.”
At first NPS intended to do an “in-kind replacement” of landscape and hardscape features with few changes to the design. But after hearing from representatives of the Haudenosaunee and consultation with the Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe of Indians, the Shawnee Tribe, and the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, NPS revised the design for Welcome Park to include expanded interpretation of the Native American history of Philadelphia.
The proposed changes were developed in consultation with representatives of the indigenous nations of the Haudenosaunee, the Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe of Indians, the Shawnee Tribe, and the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma.
“The reimagined Welcome Park maintains certain aspects of the original design such as the street grid, the rivers and the east wall while adding a new planted buffer on three sides, and a ceremonial gathering space with circular benches,” the NPS statement said.
NPS Seeking Public Comment
The NPS is accepting public comments on the proposed design for a 14 days, Jan. 8 until midnight Jan. 21.Comments may only be made though this website: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ .
In 1677, Mr. Penn, a Quaker, fled religious persecution and sailed to North America.
King Charles II of England had a large loan with Mr. Penn’s father. King Charles settled the debt after Mr. Penn’s father died by granting him William Penn a large area west and south of New Jersey.
Mr. Penn called it Sylvania, which is Latin for woods. Ultimately the area became known as Pennsylvania. But Mr. Penn’s legacy goes beyond land. He made Pennsylvania a haven for religious and political freedom.
Mr. Penn implemented a democratic system with full freedom of religion, fair trials, elected representatives of the people in power, and a separation of powers. These ideas influenced the U.S. Constitution.
Religious freedom attracted English, Welsh, German and Dutch Quakers, Huguenots, and Lutherans from Catholic German states. Some of their abandoned communities such as the Ephrata Cloister, and a number of still thriving communities, such as the Amish and Mennonites still call Pennsylvania home.
