Perhaps the most unusual and irregular feature of the Boston skyline is the gigantic Citgo sign which sits on top of the former Peerless Auto Sales and Services Building at 660 Beacon Street in the heart of Kenmore Square.  As anomalous and symbolic to Boston as the Eiffel Tower is to Paris, the Citgo sign is truly an example of American art and signage.  Seen for miles in all directions, the 360 square foot sign not only serves as an advertisement, but also as a compass that permits residents and visitors alike to orient themselves within the city.  The Citgo sign is no different from landmarks and statues throughout Boston—it, too, has its own unique history.  By 1940, the Cities Service Oil Company had a divisional office in the Peerless building and “hired a local electric sign company, University-Brink, to erect the sign’s shamrock-shaped predecessor.”¹  The bright green Cities Service logo can be seen in the graphic on the left below, ²   and the actual sign is present in the photograph on the right. ³

By 1965, Cities Service had changed its name to Citgo, and the original sign was replaced with the current rounded-rectangle form.  Initially illuminated and animated between sunset and midnight, the governor of Massachusetts asked that the sign be turned off between 1979 and 1983 to encourage energy conservation, and by 1983, Citgo decided to remove the aging sign.  Fortunately, at the request of the Boston population, the sign was saved and once again lit, allowing it to remain a key landmark in the Boston skyline. ⁴  The story of the Citgo sign embodies the themes that have characterized the site and closely parallels the larger story of Kenmore Square.  It represents the significance and the effects of transportation on the Square in the past and present.  The bright red triangle adds life to Boston skyline after dark and symbolizes the youthful exuberance of the Boston University students who currently inhabit the Square.  Most importantly, the near-demolition of the Citgo sign in 1983 has set a precedent for future construction and destruction within the site.

            The story of transportation in Kenmore Square begins before the first buildings on the site were constructed.  When Boston was founded in 1630, the majority of the region was under water, with the exception of the westernmost point which lied on a high salt marsh known as Sewall’s Point.  This is depicted in the map from 1777 below.⁵ 


By the 1800s, the Brookline and Boston and Worcester Railroads were built in order transport passengers and the two lines crossed at Sewall’s Point.  As Boston’s population grew larger, the demand for water and for power for the mills increased considerably, and the solution to this problem was the construction of the Mill Dam in 1821, which enclosed a portion of the Charles River in what is now the Back Bay.  The project proved to be a failure—it created a pool of stagnant water that became filled with sewage from Boston and Roxbury, resulting in a significant public health hazard.  The area was ordered to be filled in 1849, ⁶ and the filling proceeded westward beginning at the Boston Commons and ending at Kenmore Square.  Thus, the true history of the site, complete with the familiar buildings, landmarks, and roadways, begins around 1890.
            Observe the Sanborn map from 1897⁷ in figure 5 and compare it with the present street map of Kenmore Square in figure 6.⁸  Notice that the all of the roads that were present in 1897 remain in exactly the same place today.  It is evident from these maps that the layout of streets within Kenmore Square since its construction has consistently abandoned the typical city grid pattern that characterizes the rest of the city.  This plan for the roadways in Kenmore Square was a result of the location of the Mill Dam, which connected Beacon Street in downtown Boston to Beacon Street in Brookline with a toll road, coupled with the criticism of rectangular blocks by landscape architects.  Thus, it was logical, practical, and advantageous to have Beacon Street slice diagonally through Kenmore Square.  The acute intersections of the major roads in the center of the Square has remained constant over the past century since it continues to be reasonably successful in funneling traffic between downtown Boston and the suburb of Brookline.



            The Sanborn map from 1897, however, provides more insight into the story of the site than just the location of the roads.  The majority of the buildings in the Square and its vicinity were single-family brownstone mansions which were similar in size and shape to the dwellings in the adjacent Back Bay.  Careful comparison of the site in 1987 and 1937⁹ reveals that several of the former dwellings were converted into more commercial venues including doctors’ offices and a mortuary.  By the 1920s, a trolley proceeded above ground through the center of the Square, as shown in the picture below. 


Moreover, the majority of the new construction at the heart of the square was related to automobile commerce and included the Peerless Auto Sales and Services building and showroom, which symbolizes the beginning of the “Automobile Row” of dealerships that stretched westward down Commonwealth Avenue. ¹⁰  The transformation from an entirely residential region to a mixed use site in the early twentieth century was a direct result of the influence of transportation in Kenmore Square.  As the number of automobiles increased, so did the consequences of their presence.  The inevitable congestion brought dirt and soot in conjunction with both environmental and noise pollution, which created an unpleasant ambiance for the wealthy individuals who owned the elaborate brownstone mansions and who desired to live in maximal luxury.  

            The growing influence of transportation within the site dictated the nature of new establishments in Kenmore Square.  As the individuals who frequented the site shifted from primarily residents to a mixture of residents and transient commuters who passed through the region via the trolley, three new hotels were founded—the Hotels Kenmore and Braemore along Commonwealth Avenue and the Hotel Sheraton on Bay State Road, which overlooked the Charles River.  Some historic postcards depicting these hotels can be seen below. 


The Sheraton’s view and the elaborate entrance of the Hotel Kenmore are symbols of the site’s transition, since these amenities cater to affluent guests who desired to live lavishly both at home and on the road.  Nevertheless, the Great Depression severely limited the number of people who were able to stay at these hotels.  Consequently, the Hotel Braemore was converted into an apartment building and the Hotel Sheraton changed ownership and became the Hotel Shelton.

            The GI Bill and the economic rebound after World War II resulted in a much greater number of students who wanted to attend college.  As a result, educational institutions throughout the country expanded to accommodate the new students, and the growth of universities had a profound impact on Kenmore Square.  In the 1950s, Boston University began to purchase buildings in Kenmore Square, including the Myles Standish Apartments and the Hotel Shelton along Bay State Road, and to subsequently convert them to dormitories.  By 1964, Grahm Junior College had also moved from Cambridge into Kenmore Square.  As downtown Boston grew in the 1960s and new hotels were established near Copley Square and Government Center, the demand for rooms at the Hotel Kenmore continued to decline.  Grahm Junior College rented vacant space from the hotel until it ultimately purchased the building in 1966.¹¹   When the College closed in 1979, the space was immediately purchased by Boston University.




            The bright lights of the Citgo sign symbolize the new youthful presence on the site as a result of the expansion of these two educational institutions.  The influx of students into the area also contributed to the development of businesses which catered to young people.  The former Peerless Auto Sales and Services building was transformed into a bank and a theater, adjacent to a night club.  An IHOP was founded across the street on Commonwealth Avenue which was open 24 hours, footsteps away from the Rathskeller, a popular pub and Boston’s premiere punk-rock venue.  The remainder of the site was rapidly permeated by reasonably priced cafés and pizzerias which served as hangouts for the students.  The only remnants of the past wealthy residents were the decorative moldings and ornate details on the brownstone mansions that were converted to apartment houses, in addition to the prominent Waterman and Sons Funeral Home at the center of the site.


            Between 1979 and the present, two major changes took place in Kenmore Square.  In the early 1990s, the Peerless Auto Sales and Services building was converted to the Boston University Bookstore which is operated by Barnes and Noble.  The open floor layout from the original showroom was particularly suitable for a bookstore, and as a result, its historic and distinct façade was able to be preserved.  The block of Commonwealth Avenue where the IHOP and the Rathskeller were located was not as fortunate.  In 1999, half of this block was demolished to make room for the new Hotel Commonwealth which is currently nearing completion and is expected to be a hotel with expensive boutiques on the ground level.


            The demolition of the single section of Commonwealth Avenue represents the only time in Kenmore Square’s history that classic brownstones have been torn down to make room for new construction and gentrification.  The project was a joint venture by private institutions including Boston University aimed at revitalizing Kenmore Square and removing forces such as the Rathskeller that could potentially corrupt BU students.  In 1983, Citgo attempted to remove the famous, yet deteriorating, sign, but was confronted with considerable opposition that made the company reconsider.  This set a precedent that the inhabitants of Kenmore Square care about the site and the historic value of the buildings in the area.  Although BU was successful in constructing the Hotel Commonwealth, it can be predicted that there will not be much demolition in the future.  The exteriors of the buildings will remain constant, and construction will be limited to the subway stop and bus terminal at the center of the square.

            In conclusion, Kenmore Square remains a bustling, vital Boston neighborhood.  While the presence of the Citgo sign is perhaps Kenmore's major identifier, it is also a symbol of the various transformation and reincarnations that the area has witnessed and attests to the greater importance of the site to Boston residents.  The name Citgo, which advertises gasoline, marks the original significance of transportation within the region while also illustrating that pollution due to the automobiles in the early twentieth century ultimately paved the way for the Square to become a part of Boston University’s campus instead of a primarily residential neighborhood like the Back Bay.  Today, Kenmore Square continues to evolve for the future with a conscious respect for its history.  Like the city of Boston itself, Kenmore continues to grow and change while placing a premium on respecting, preserving, and admiring the accomplishments of the past.

A Note on Sources:  Although careful citing is imperative and a great deal of effort was put into clearly identifying each source with a footnote, this assignment is the story of Kenmore Square, and is the product of all of the information that was researched and gathered over the past three months.  Thus, some facts used in this assignment may not be cited because they are common knowledge after reading the previous essays.  Please check the endnotes for assignments 2, 3, and 4 on the website for a more detailed bibliography.

                                                                                           

¹ Brendan O’Malley, “Flâneur: Beacon’s Beacon” 6 Mar. 2003 <http://www.flaneur.org/ meander/omalley.html>.

² John Cirillo, “Cities Service (Citgo) Photos.”  30 Apr. 2003 <http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~cirillo/ petro/citgo/citgo1.htm>.

³ Michael B. Shavelson, “Damned and Praised.” 30 April 2003 <http://www.bu.edu/alumni/bostonia/2002/winter/ essays/dammed/>.

⁴ “Red Sox Connection - The Citgo Sign.” 30 Apr. 2003 <http://www.redsoxconnection.com/citgo.html>.

⁵ Henry Pelham, “A Plan of Boston in New England with its Environs, 1777.”  Map.  David Rumsey Map Collection.  6 Mar. 2003 <http://www.davidrumsey.com>.

⁶ Anne Whiston Spirn,  The Granite Garden (New York:  Basic Books, 1984) 32.

⁷ “Boston, Massachusetts Sanborn Insurance Maps, 1897, Volume 2N, Sheets 78 and 79.” Map.  Digital Sanborn Maps: 1867-1970.  6 Mar. 2003. <http://sanborn.umi.com/ma/>.

⁸ “Mass GIS/MHD 2001 Color Ortho Imagery Viewer.”  Map.  Massachusetts Geographic Information System.  18 Mar. 2003 <http://maps.massgis.state.ma.us/MassGISColorOrthos/viewer.htm>.

⁹ Boston, Massachusetts Sanborn Insurance Maps, 1937, Volume 2N, Sheets 237 and 238.” Map.  Digital Sanborn Maps: 1867-1970.  6 Mar. 2003. <http://sanborn.umi.com/ma/>.

¹⁰ “BU Bridge:  BU Yesterday — Week of 30 April 1999.” 28 Apr. 2003.  <http://www.bu.edu/bridge/ archive/1999/04-30/yesterday.html>.

¹¹ Matthew Hasson, “Grahm Junior College Memorial Page” May 2002, 6 Mar. 2003 <http://hometown.aol.com/mhasson/ GrahmHome.html>.

                                                                                           

Click here for Final Presentation Photographs and Maps.