(PartiallyPolitics.com) – The National Park Service announced that as part of the Welcome Park’s “rehabilitation” proposal the statue of William Penn, who is commemorated for founding Pennsylvania, would be removed.
As the release noted the decision would create a more welcoming environment for visitors and would include an expanded interpretation of Philadelphia’s history including more information about Native Americans.
The proposal was created in collaboration with representatives of the Shawnee Tribe, the Delaware Tribe of Indians, The Haudenosaunee, the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, and the Delaware Nation. The Park takes its name from the ship ‘Welcome’ which had brought Penn to the state in 1682. The establishment of the park took place three centuries later.
Following a request for public feedback on the proposal on X, formerly known as Twitter, over 500 users have commented on their views.
One user responded to the Independence National Historical Park’s tweet by calling for them to leave the statue where it was. A different user called for the National Park Service to be defunded.
Following all these comments, the NPS in its release noted that it would not accept feedback through email, mail, phone calls, or social media.
The NPS’s proposal would leave unaffected other aspects of the Welcome Park, including the rivers, east wall, and street grid all of which were part of the original design of the park., An additional planted buffer would be added on three sides, as well as circular benches and a gathering space.
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