Federal government installs reworked panels about slavery at George Washington's Philadelphia home

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Panels detailing the stories of nine people who were enslaved at the President's House in Philadelphia were removed overnight and replaced with new displays emphasizing broader American history, the President's House and George Washington's evolving views on slavery.

It's a move that has sparked outrage from advocates, visitors and preservation groups.

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The original exhibit, which had been in place since 2010, was created to share the stories of people enslaved at the site. Visitors arriving Wednesday found that those panels had been removed.

"We're actually here from Texas," visitor Chris Charanza of Waco, Texas, said while touring the historic site.

"I've always wanted to come here and take a look," Charanza said, not realizing that the panels he was viewing had been swapped out just hours earlier.

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The changes prompted immediate criticism from some visitors and advocates.

"I mean like, you know, a thief in the night!" said the Rev. Carolyn Cavaness, pastor of Mother Bethel AME Church, about the move to replace the panels during the overnight hours.

"That's horrible. That's a horrible thing," said Ken Murray of Coatesville.

The replacement panels place greater emphasis on American history broadly and reference Washington's changing views on slavery. Opponents of the change say that approach does not adequately preserve the stories of the nine enslaved individuals previously highlighted.

The dispute follows months of opposition to the Trump administration's decision to remove the original panels. The administration first removed the displays in January following an executive order.

"When I say we are outraged, we are outraged," said Michael Coard of the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, which originally pushed to establish the displays at the President's House in 2010.

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Coard also questioned the precedent he believes the move could set.

"What if there's a president next time that doesn't like the Liberty Bell because the Liberty Bell was used by abolitionists to support the end of slavery? Do we remove the Liberty Bell?" he said.

The Trump administration defended the replacement exhibits. In a statement, the Department of the Interior said, "These new panels are full of historical context and highlight the momentous events that took place in the President's House."

U.S. Park Police were stationed at the site following the changes. Law enforcement also set up mobile cameras to watch over the site as police presence increased late in the afternoon.

"Just to see the level of security I've experienced, this shows that something is terribly wrong," Cavaness said.

The controversy comes after months of legal disputes over control of the site. The city of Philadelphia initially prevailed in a lawsuit related to the panels. However, a higher court ruled last month that the previous judge lacked jurisdiction and that the federal government owns the President's House site.

In response to the replacement of the panels, Mayor Cherelle Parker issued a statement that said in part, "I will continue fighting on behalf of everyone who supports the core belief: all of our history must be told."

Volunteers with the group Old City Remembers have continued sharing the stories formerly featured on the panels, reading them from binders at the site.

"I don't understand why people would be afraid of our history. We need to face our history. We need to deal with it, and maybe promise it will never happen again," said Sheri Utain, one of the volunteers.

The Avenging the Ancestors Coalition and the city are exploring additional legal options.

While the exhibit panels have changed, one feature remains: a stone wall listing the names of the nine people who were enslaved at the President's House. Their names remain on display, but the detailed stories that were previously told through the exhibit panels have been removed.