Removal of mural in Boston stirs outcry

The mural graced the old Verizon building in the Financial District for more than a half-century, a towering illustration that paid homage to the men and women who toiled as telephone operators, connecting distant relatives and dear, old friends.

But Verizon sold the building last year and quietly took the mural down over the summer as part of the sales agreement. The removal has triggered a storm of protest among local preservationists, who worry about the loss of a significant piece of New England history, as well as the future of the Art Deco building where it long resided.

“We are outraged about the removal,’’ said Tony Fusco, president of the Art Deco Society of Boston. “This is undoubtedly the most important mural of its kind in Boston.’’

Fusco said the removal is tantamount to stripping the murals out of Rockefeller Center in New York or the Boston Public Library.