Congress Hall was vandalized with spray paint
The vandalism paint showed up on Friday morning.
Congress Hall has been defaced with graffiti.
Black spray painted phrases were visible on the Sixth and Chestnut Street side of the national historic landmark Friday morning.
The vandalizing words read: “Those Boys Not these Boys” in one section. Further down the brick wall was simply the word “Erotica.” It is unclear what the words may have been referencing.
National Park Service workers began removing the graffiti on Friday morning and it was gone by early afternoon. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It is not known when exactly the graffitiing occurred, or if it was done by a singular person or group. Vandalizing, destroying, injuring or defacing national park property is a federal misdemeanor crime punishable by up six months in prison and a $500 fine.
The historic area has been a target for vandalism in the recent past. The statue of Robert Morris in Independence National Historic Park was vandalized with a permanent marker alluding to his ties to slavery in 2023.
Correction: An earlier version of this article misidentified the building that was vandalized. It was Congress Hall.