LOCK HAVEN -A soft yellow building with shades of tan, brown and olive green trim is beginning to emerge.
It's been two weeks since staff of the Clinton County Historical Society, friends and other volunteers began repainting the exterior of the Heisey Museum.
And the pink and brown decor that has been a trademark of the museum at 362 E. Water St., is slowly but surely losing ground.
"It isn't pink anymore," is the comment heard often by the painters and passers-by who are seeing the 177-year-old structure change its appearance day-by-day.
The Color People, architectural color consultants in Denver, Colorado, recommended the new colors - Cookie Dough, Providence Olive, Sequoia, Rainy Afternoon and Powder Buff - after looking at detailed photos of the museum and the neighborhood, Heisey Executive Director Anne McCloskey said.
The firm designed a paint scheme that would fit the building and the neighborhood, and provided an easy-to-follow color key for the painters, she said, turning the pages of a small notebook that contains diagrams of each section of the museum.
Actually, it's similar to paint-by-number, with photos showing each part of the building - walls, window sills, pillars, shutters, etc. - and each specific area designated with a number that corresponds to the color of paint to be used.
"All we had to do was get the paint. It's really pretty easy to follow," McCloskey said, inviting residents of the community to stop by and take a look and even help if they like to paint.
"We've had some people walking on the dike stop and paint. We can use all the help we can get," she said.
Funding for the new coat of paint for the museum and the adjacent ice house, was provided by grants from the Clinton County Foundation and Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Project.
Although they aren't sure how long it's been since the Heisey had a coat of paint, they know that it's been a long time ... at least 20 years.
Curator Lou Bernard is anxious for the painting to be completed.
"It's going to look great. The only drawback is giving directions... I can't just tell people to look for the pink building anymore."
