For half a century, Bostonians and visitors alike have identified with the iconic CITGO sign rooted on 660 Beacon Street in Kenmore Square. It has encouraged many thousands of Marathon runners and its gleaming red triangle has presided over countless innings at Fenway Park. The sign is visible from almost every angle of the city and Cambridge serving as a beacon for the region. The CITGO sign isn’t just an advertisement, it is a Boston landmark. For national audiences, it says “Boston” just as much as Old North Church and the Swan Boats.

Boston University announced its intention to sell the building that supports the CITGO sign earlier this year with no stipulations that the sign remain. With this change in ownership, the sign’s future is threatened. However, with your help, we can ensure that future generations of Bostonians will know and love this fifty-year-old icon of the city.

Please sign and share this petition asking the City to grant the CITGO sign Landmark status (it’s a process that requires Boston Landmarks Commission approval and needs to survive potential vetoes by City Council and the Mayor). Landmark designation will protect the CITGO sign permanently and require any possible changes to be reviewed (including those that result from future development of 660 Beacon Street). Further, it will recognize the CITGO sign as an important piece of Boston history and culture.

To find out more about Boston Preservation Alliance, visit BostonPreservation.org.

Image: Kenmore Square. Post 2010. Photograph Henry Han, courtesy of CITGO.