London has Big Ben, Paris has the Eiffel Tower, and Boston has the Citgo sign. It’s an unlikely landmark in this high-minded city, but Bostonians love the bright-blinking ‘trimark’ that has towered over Kenmore Sq since 1965. Every time the Red Sox hit a home run over the leftfield wall at Fenway Park, Citgo’s colorful logo is seen by thousands of fans. It also symbolizes the end of the Boston Marathon, as it falls at mile 25 in the race.
For whatever reason, Bostonians have claimed these neon lights as their own. The sign was turned off in 1979 to conserve energy, and after four years, Citgo decided to dismantle the deteriorating sign. But local residents rallied, arguing it was a prime example of urban neon art. They fought to bestow landmark status on the sign to preserve it. And the Citgo sign stayed.
The sign was renovated in 2005, replacing the neon lights with LEDs (which are more durable, more energy-efficient and easier to maintain). Indeed, the previous version of the sign required more than 5 miles of neon tubing to light its 60ft-by-60ft face. Featured in film, photographs and song, the Citgo sign continues to shine.
