Community Corner
William Penn Statue To Stay At Welcome Park After All
The National Park Service said Independence National Historical Park will not remove the statue, but still plans to rehabilitate the park.
PHILADELPHIA — After initially planning to remove the William Penn statue at Welcome Park, Independence National Historical Park will no longer nix the statue as it has withdrawn the review of a draft proposal to rehabilitate Welcome Park.
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, and public comments have been closed.
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Despite this, the National Park Service is committed to rehabilitating Welcome Park as the nation prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.
The National Park Service said Independence National Historical Park "looks forward to engaging in a robust public process to consider options for refurbishing the park in the coming years."
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The park is on the site of William Penn's home, the Slate Roof House, and is named for the ship, Welcome, which brought Penn to Philadelphia.
The design and construction of Welcome Park was funded by the Independence Historical Trust and was completed in 1982.
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