#bostonsigns

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Adjacent to the Cambridge Common in historic Harvard Square, the Commander has been a landmark  since it was opened in 1927. The hotel pays homage to George Washington, who took command of the Continental Army in here in 1775. Back in the sixties it became one of the first franchised Sheraton hotels. The signature red neon sign still towers overhead outside, one of the few remaining roof-mounted signs in the city.

BOSTON SIGNAGE PROJECT (96 of #100bostonsigns)

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This spot on Congress Avenue in Chelsea was a longstanding home to the popular El Dorado Bakery until it was destroyed by fire in late 2013. The brick wall of the adjacent building was exposed once the charred remains were removed, revealing an amazing Pillsbury painted ghost sign which had been unseen for decades.

[100bostonsigns]

This great neon sign and old-school clock sit atop a two-piece dining car known as Kelly's Diner in Somerville.

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There's no shortage of Coke ghost signs in the city and this one resides on the side of a brownstone on the corner of Rutland Square and Columbus Ave in the South End. Strangely enough it's paired up with another aging painted sign on the same wall – a vintage logo of longtime rival Pepsi.

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Before the original Boston Garden was demolished and replaced by the current @TDGarden 1995, this sign graced the exterior on the Causeway Street side. It was preserved and now resides inside the building behind the bar in the Legends Club.

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Villa Francesca is another one of those great Italian restaurants in in the North End and has one of the largest painted signs in the city. This well-hidden 4-story-tall beauty is tucked into the left side of the building and is blocked from view if you are walking from Hanover Street. 

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Along Cummins Highway in the heart of Mattapan, this Model Cleansers ghost sign is easy to miss because it faces an alley. 

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Suspension Specialists was was originally established by George Arcand in 1908, and was primarily a blacksmith shop fixing suspensions on horse carriages. They are still around servicing vehicles of all sizes, and sporting a classic red sign with a great sharp-angled typeface.