A Painful Past Cannot Be Erased
A Closer Look at the President’s House
The President’s House is an outdoor exhibit that examines the paradox between slavery and freedom in the new nation. Presidents Washington and Adams, and their households, once lived and worked at a house on this site. Although the house was demolished in 1832, some of its stories were preserved through videos shared from the perspective of enslaved individuals who lived and worked here, and text panels shed light on everything from visiting tribal delegations to the work of the executive branch.
It’s located at the corner of 6th and Market Streets.
In late January 2026, the Trump Administration had the informational signs removed.
The City of Philadelphia responded by suing the Department of the Interior and the acting director of the National Park Service for altering the exhibit without any consultation or notice to city officials. The suit, filed in federal court, seeks a preliminary injunction to restore the exhibits at the President’s House Site, part of Independence National Historical Park.
A federal judge overseeing the case ruled that the federal government must continue to store the displays safely so they are not damaged.
Senator Hughes recently visited the President’s House Exhibit to see for himself what had happened to the historical site.
