Homeowner Derek Bruce was granted a certificate of appropriateness for his proposal to paint the entrance door, all the shutters and flower boxes black at 522 Center St. during the June 4 meeting of the Historical and Architectural Review Board at City Hall’s Rotunda.

When asked if he had a color sample, “Black is black to me,” replied Bruce in unison with committee member Joe McGavin. Bruce mentioned the Benjamin Moore black he had picked out had a slight green tint to it. While searching online for color samples, the closest match found was a Sherwin-Williams “greenblack” color that Bruce remembered resembled his pick.

“Black is not white,” opined McGavin, again in support of the applicant.

“There’s a thousand colors of black, though,” replied Chairperson Connie Postupack in support of historical appropriateness.

The COA stipulated Sherwin-Williams “greenblack” or similar for the door, shutters and flower boxes, with all hardware, including hinges and shutter dogs remaining black.

Existing white-painted wood features of the house are to be repainted with a matching shade of white.

As Bruce was ready to leave, Historic Officer Joe Phillips said when he picks up his paint, “You can tell them the story of how we deliberated over the exact color of black.”

The two-story, middle of row, circa 1851 brick residence is owned by Derek and Frances Bruce.

Voting was unanimous.

The Historical and Architectural Review Board regularly meets the first Wednesday of every month to review all exterior changes proposed to buildings in the Bethlehem Historic District north of the Lehigh River. When a proposed project receives a certificate of appropriateness from the board, applicants must wait for city council to vote on it before proceeding. Meetings can be viewed on YouTube.