Certain exhibits being removed from Harpers Ferry under Trump administration order

HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. (WBOY) — The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia has spoken out against a move by the Trump administration to remove references to slavery from exhibits in the state’s only national historic park.

Harpers Ferry National Historic Park is the location of John Brown’s raid, a significant move in the war against slavery in 1859 that helped catapult the nation into Civil War. It was also a major battle ground during the Civil Way in 1861-1865, changing hands eight times during the war, according to the National Park Service’s website.

After an order from President Donald Trump’s administration, certain exhibits, photos and references to slavery are being removed from the national historic park, the ACLU-WV said in a statement Wednesday.

Park officials confirmed to WBOY’s ABC affiliate ABC News 7 that they have been ordered to remove or cover displays “that have been determined by the Trump administration to disproportionally emphasize negative aspects of American history or historical figures.”

“By sanitizing the brutal realities of slavery, the administration denies visitors the complete historical context necessary for informed citizenship in a democracy,” ACLU-WV Executive Director Eli Baumwell said in the release.

The ACLU said that the Trump administration is removing historical references to slavery nationwide as a way to remove “corrosive ideology” that “disparages historic Americans.” According to the ACLU, the administration is also asking park visitors to report possible violations of the order.

ACLU-WV Advocacy Director Rusty Williams called the move “deeply insulting to all West Virginians, especially Black West Virginians who were subjected to the cruelties of slavery.”

The Department of the Interior told Nexstar affiliate The Hill that despite reports, a certain photo depicting an enslaved man’s scars—a photo that was also referenced by the ACLU-WV—was not being removed from exhibits.

“I can confirm that NPS sites were not asked to remove the photo,” Department of the Interior spokesperson Elizabeth Peace told The Hill earlier this week. She continued, “Our goal is accuracy and balance, not removal for its own sake, and we are committed to making corrections if mistakes occur.”

As of Sept. 18, no major changes have been made to the Harpers Ferry National Historic Park website. 12 News has reached out to Harpers Ferry National Historic Park for comment and is awaiting a response.