The City of Philadelphia has filed a federal lawsuit after slavery-related exhibits were removed from the President’s House site on Independence Mall—without notice or approval from the city.

According to the lawsuit, officials with the National Park Service dismantled educational panels detailing the lives of enslaved people held by George Washington at the historic residence, leaving behind only empty metal frames. The site, located at Sixth and Market Streets, once served as the nation’s first executive mansion and has included slavery-focused exhibits since opening to the public in 2010.

City leaders argue the removals violate a 2006 cooperative agreement requiring federal officials to consult Philadelphia before making changes to the site. The lawsuit calls the action “arbitrary and capricious” and seeks an injunction to restore the exhibits.

“This is an effort to whitewash American history,” said City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, adding that discomfort is not a justification for erasure.

The removals appear tied to a recent federal directive ordering agencies to review and revise historical displays to focus on “shared national values” rather than material deemed critical of the nation’s past. Critics say that language opens the door to minimizing slavery and racial violence in public history.

Community advocates pushed back forcefully. “Slavery is American history,” said Michael Coard of the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition. “You cannot tell the story of this country without it.”

The President’s House is part of Independence National Historical Park, an area expected to play a central role in the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations in 2026. Local officials say that milestone makes historical honesty more important than ever.

Federal agencies have not publicly responded to the lawsuit. For Philadelphia, the issue is simple: history doesn’t disappear just because someone tries to remove the evidence.