The Citgo Sign - Boston, MA

The Boston Citgo sign, a prominent double-faced display showcasing the Citgo oil company logo, stands tall over Kenmore Square in Boston. First erected in 1940 and later updated with Citgo’s current logo in 1965. The building used to have a Cities Service station, but now the sign is a historical landmark without an associated Citgo gas station. In 1979, Governor Edward J. King ordered the sign to switch off in a gesture toward energy conservation.

Four years later, Citgo attempted to dismantle the weather-worn sign but was met with widespread public protests. The Boston Landmarks Commission halted the disassembly while the matter was debated. Citgo refurbished and re-illuminated the sign in 1983, an event that drew an enthusiastic crowd of 1,000 sign enthusiasts, and it has remained operational ever since.

In September 2006, Boston city councilor Jerry McDermott proposed removing the sign in response to insults directed at U.S. President George W. Bush by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. McDermott also suggested temporarily covering the sign with an American flag or Boston Red Sox banner until Chávez was out of office.

In July 2016, the Boston Landmarks Commission granted preliminary landmark status to the sign, pausing it’s removal. The commission completed a three-month study, followed by a vote on permanent landmark status in October 2016.

In October 2016, local developer Related Beal acquired the building as part of a $140 million, nine-building deal. When Citgo was under previous ownership by Boston University, they paid a below-market rate of $250,000 annually for the sign.

Beal committed on March 15, 2017, to keeping the sign in place for “decades to come.”

On November 13, 2018, the Boston Landmarks Commission unanimously designated the sign as an official Boston Landmark. However, Mayor of Boston Marty Walsh subsequently vetoed this action in late November. This veto coincided with an agreement between Citgo and Beal on a lease that will allow the sign to remain in place for another 30 years.

On August 10, 2020, members of the global environmental movement Extinction Rebellion unfurled a 42-foot by 42-foot banner over the front of the sign, bearing the message “CLIMATE JUSTICE NOW.” They took this action to raise awareness about environmental issues stemming from the fossil fuel industry. Ten members from the Boston, New York, and Vermont chapters of the group were arrested for trespassing and disturbing the peace when they removed the banner.

Main events

– 1940: The original Citgo sign was erected over Kenmore Square in Boston.

– 1965: Updated with Citgo’s current logo.

– 1979: Switched off by order of Governor Edward J. King as an energy conservation measure.

– 1983: After public protests, Citgo refurbished and re-illuminated the sign.

– 2006: Proposal to remove the sign in response to comments made by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

– 2016: Granted preliminary landmark status by the Boston Landmarks Commission.

– 2016: Related Beal acquired the building on which the sign is located in a $140 million deal.

– 2017: Beal committed to keeping the sign in place for decades to come.

– 2018: Designated an official Boston Landmark by the Boston Landmarks Commission.

– 2018: Mayor Marty Walsh vetoed the landmark designation, but an agreement was reached to keep the sign for another 30 years.

– 2020: Extinction Rebellion displayed a “CLIMATE JUSTICE NOW” banner over the sign, leading to arrests for trespassing and disturbing the peace.

Check out my other stories about Abandoned America in Boston here.