Judge examines state of slavery exhibit after it was dismantled from President’s House

The city of Philadelphia is now waiting for a decision after a federal judge toured the President’s House near 6th and Market streets on Monday to review where the slavery exhibit was before it was dismantled two weeks ago.

Federal Judge Cynthia Rufe also went to the National Constitution Center where the panels are being stored in order to inspect them on Feb. 2.

“I don’t know what I saw, but I didn’t see anything that concerned me about the condition. But, there are some marks but I can’t portray where they are from and I can’t say they are in any worsening condition for now,” Judge Rufe said.

The city of Philadelphia is suing the Interior Department and the National Park Service over the Jan. 22 removal of the panels from the President’s House that documented the lives of slaves held by President George Washington.

City leaders want the exhibit to be restored to its original state.

On Monday, Feb. 2, city attorneys, a community action group and federal lawyers looked over the 34 items that make up the exhibit.

NBC10 was told that much of it was on a cement floor against a wall in an area that is not open or visible to the public.

“I’m completely demoralized. I’m completely upset. Like I said from the outset, what I saw was the equivalent of taking historically expensive information and throwing it in Uncle Joe’s garage,” Michael Coard, of the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, said.

Lawyers for the Department of the Interior said that the city and NPS entered into an agreement in 2006. They agreed to meet and talk about any changes before they were made to the exhibit at 6th and Market streets.

Those lawyers claim that the agreement ended in 2010 with full ownership transferred to the NPS after they finished the project.

They said that they believe this case is about government speech and the right to select the view it wants to express itself.

The city believes an original agreement in 1950 surrounding collaboration with NPS supersedes all of this.

The city says that it is just waiting for a decision now and the judge said that could happen very soon.

The Interior Department did not give us a new comment today but told NBC10 on Friday, Jan. 30 that any accusations about them trying to erase history are simply inaccurate.