Art therapist finds home in Greensburg's historic Jamison Building

The Jamison Building on North Main Street in downtown Greensburg dates to the late 19th century, built in the 1890s.

Vestiges of the era remain, from some of the decorative touches inside to the three heavy-duty vault doors remaining from the building’s time as a bank.

Art therapist and licensed counselor Tara Saunders, who runs the Creative Counseling Institute, owns the building and recently finished renovating it, hoping it will see a bright future as a home for creative wellness therapy.

“I was looking for a small office, and when I first walked in, the layout really reminded me of a school,” said Saunders, 44, a 2010 Seton Hill graduate. “That really appealed to me.”

What did not initially appeal to her was the amount of work much of the building required during seven months of renovation.

“The structure was solid, but almost every other area needed attention — the paint, the flooring, the whole thing really needed a face-lift,” Saunders said.

And while the darker color on the building’s exterior may seem more modern, Saunders said she researched some of the color palettes used in the early 1900s before settling on a deep green for the outside walls.

The Colonial Revival-style building is named for the family of Robert Jamison, who founded the Jamison Coal & Coke Mining Co. around the same time the building was constructed. The family lived, owned and developed several of the properties along North Main Street and North Maple Avenue.

The renovated building has space for 15 offices, Saunders said. Four are already occupied.

“I want it to be filled with all kinds of creative wellness options for people,” she said. “I graduated from Seton Hill’s art therapy program, and I think we need more of it in the area.”

For more on rental space at the building, see Creative CounselingInstitute.com.