A proposed plan to rehabilitate Philadelphia’s Welcome Park was reversed within 72 hours of its announcement. The pitch to remove a statue of William Penn, the founder of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, sparked a wave of outrage that ultimately led to the National Park Service withdrawing its proposition.

The plan ended the same way it started: through a set of tweets. This is a look at how X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) shaped the fate of Welcome Park in a matter of days.

Friday, Jan. 5: The Independence National Historical Park account tweeted a link to a news release announcing the proposed plans
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The news release announced a proposal to rehabilitate Welcome Park — a park commemorating the founding of Pennsylvania on the land where Penn once lived — and make visiting a more inclusive experience. The National Park Service, which did not immediately return a request for comment, aims to rehabilitate the park for America’s 250th birthday celebration in 2026.

The park, located on Second Street between Chestnut and Walnut Streets, has fallen into disrepair with rows of broken granite floor. Patrons also say it lacks adequate seating. The proposal included a new planted buffer and the addition of a ceremonial gathering space with circular benches. It also mentioned removing the Penn statue and the model of his Slate Roof House and not reinstalling them.

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