The statue of English Quaker and colonial leader William Penn is no longer welcome at Pennsylvania’s “Welcome Park.” The announcement came from the National Park Service on January 5, 2024.
For those with a good grasp of history, William Penn is an iconic figure in American history. According to Biography.com, “William Penn was an English Quaker best known for founding the colony of Pennsylvania as a place of religious freedom in America.”
Quakers were prominent in English society for several hundred years. They still exist in the United States to date. They are members of a religious group called the Society of Friends.
Quakers believed that all members of the human race were spiritually equal. Besides, they rejected the concept of ordination and promoted the idea that every human could reach God for themselves.
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Penn founded the colony of Pennsylvania during the British colonial reign. This colony is what later turned into present-day Pennsylvania and Delaware. He is, however, credited with advancing the cause of democracy and religious freedom in the region.
Moreover, many historians have also agreed that Penn’s democratic ideals inspired a great deal of the United States civilization. In the words of USHistory.com, Penn’s “democratic principles…served as an inspiration for the United States Constitution.”
Given his significant role in Pennsylvania history, it was no shock that the National Park Service’s announcement stirred up a storm. The service was also the object of heavy criticism on the internet after the announcement.
A post on X by @realmichaelseif bashed the park service for the move. “It started with Confederate statues. Now they’ve arrived at William Penn. The National Park Service,” he wrote.
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“It doesn’t matter that he supported religious freedom, opposed slavery, and treated Native Americans with respect,” he continued. “It was always about replacing the history of the United States,” he concluded.
In addition, the park’s explanation for the move centered around major rehabilitation needs. Part of its press release read, “The National Park Service proposes to rehabilitate Welcome Park to provide a more welcoming, accurate, and inclusive experience for visitors.”
Welcome Park, according to the press release, “was designed by the internationally acclaimed design firm Venturi and Scott Brown Associates.” The park sits on a piece of East Philadelphia near the Delaware River. It is the site of William Penn’s home, the Slate Roof House, which stood where he lived with his family some centuries ago.
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The Welcome Park got its name from the ship named Welcome that brought William Penn to Philadelphia. The park, conceived to be an “open-air museum,” opened its gates to visitors in 1982.
Shedding more light on the proposed rehabilitation, the park also explained that certain aspects of the original design will remain untouched. These include “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 release further stated, “The Penn statue and Slate Roof house model will be removed and not reinstalled.” This part of the plan has drawn widespread backlash and will have lots of pressure to surmount.
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