Photo Courtesy Henry Marte
Lowell – The City of Lowell and the Lowell Historic Board are proud to announce the Sun Sign Restoration Lighting, taking place on Monday, October 27, at 6:30PM in front of the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, 50 East Merrimack St.
Located atop the historic Sun Building in Kearney Square, the twin rooftop signs have long been a familiar feature of Lowell’s skyline. Installed in 1934, twenty years after the building’s construction, the signs once served as a beacon for generations of residents and travelers. The February 1, 1937, edition of The Lowell Sun proclaimed that the rooftop displays “contain the largest neon letters in Middlesex County,” while a 1939 article described scouts using the illuminated signs as a navigational landmark.
Often referred to as Lowell’s “Citgo sign,” the twin “SUN” signs have not been lit for nearly a decade. In 2017, when the possibility of removing the signs was raised, the Lowell Historic Board’s Sun Sign Restoration Project was launched to explore preservation and restoration options. Following years of planning, coordination, and negotiation, ownership of the signs was officially transferred from The Lowell Sun to building owners in January 2025. Around the same time, the City of Lowell provided approximately $60,000 in grant funding to support the restoration.
The project replaces the original neon tubing — costly and prone to moisture-related failures — with modern LED illumination that faithfully replicates the neon’s signature glow while using only 15% of the energy. The restoration process included removing the original neon components, cleaning and repainting the iconic red and green letters, and installing new LED systems and power supplies.
The work was completed by Signs Now NH, a company with long-standing familiarity with the Sun signs and extensive experience in neon-to-LED conversions. Project partners include the Lowell Historic Board, City of Lowell, 4th AP Company (building owners), The Lowell Sun, and Signs Now NH. Additional support was provided by the Lowell Heritage Partnership and the Charlotte and Michel LaPierre Charitable Fund through the Greater Lowell Community Foundation.
The October 27 relighting ceremony will feature remarks from Mayor Daniel P. Rourke, City Manager Thomas A. Golden, Jr., Lowell Historic Board Chair George Villaras, and Alex Costello, former Lowell Sun Editorial Page Editor.
For more information on the Sun Sign Restoration Project, the history of the Sun Building, and the twin roof signs, visit www.lowellsunsign.com
