Court order limits federal actions at President’s House site: What we know

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Published  April 9, 2026 10:32pm EDT
FOX 29 Philadelphia
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The Brief

    • A federal appeals court partly paused a lower court order on the President’s House slavery memorial in Philadelphia on Thursday, April 9.
    • The National Park Service cannot alter or replace exhibits without the city’s agreement, but is not required to restore or maintain the site as previously ordered.
    • The Avenging the Ancestors Coalition condemned proposed changes to the memorial and called for full restoration of the original exhibits.

PHILADELPHIA - A federal appeals court has granted a partial pause on a lower court’s order regarding the President’s House slavery memorial, allowing the National Park Service to delay restoration and maintenance requirements but blocking any changes to the site without the city’s agreement, according to a court order issued Thursday, April 9.

Court order limits federal actions at President’s House site

What we know:

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals granted a partial stay of the district court’s preliminary injunction, allowing the National Park Service and other federal officials to delay restoring the President’s House site to its January 21, 2026, condition and to delay certain maintenance requirements.

The court denied the federal government’s request to pause the part of the injunction that bars them from damaging or altering exhibits, panels, or artwork at the site. 

The order also blocks the installation of replacement materials or further changes without the mutual agreement of the City of Philadelphia.

The appeals court instructed federal officials to continue preserving the status quo at the President’s House site while the case moves forward.

ATAC denounces proposed changes and calls for restoration

What they're saying:

The Avenging the Ancestors Coalition (ATAC) criticized the National Park Service’s proposed replacement panels at the President’s House Slavery Memorial, calling them "deeply offensive" and "an attempt to sanitize history."

ATAC said, "No one person—no president, no administration—has the right to dictate what history we tell. The truth is not optional. We will not stand by quietly while anyone attempts to erase, distort, or whitewash the reality of slavery and its legacy in this country," said ATAC founder Michael Coard.

ATAC emphasized its two-decade effort to establish the memorial and said the Park Service did not consult them before proposing changes. The group vowed to keep pushing for the full restoration of the original exhibits.

The backstory:

The President’s House site in Philadelphia is one of the few federal memorials acknowledging the lives of nine enslaved African descendants held by George Washington. 

The current legal fight centers on how the site’s history is presented and who has authority over its interpretation.

What we don't know:

It is not yet clear how long the legal process will take or when a final decision will be made about the future of the President’s House exhibits. 

Details about the specific changes proposed by the National Park Service have not been released.

The Source: Information from the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and a statement from the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition.

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