63 Washington Street, the senior citizen residence in Camden is closing its doors and is expecting to be sold. The handsome 120-year-old house was built in 1898 as a place for widows and older single women to live, with single rooms, meals provided, shared dining and living rooms, and with an enormous vegetable garden out the back to feed the residents (in a time when everybody in Camden had one).

I am sorry that 63 is closing; the board labored mightily to keep it going. The state has not been able to help and it seems that our society has changed and older people prefer to remain in their homes until they are too frail to do so and are not as accustomed to living in common with other people.

But I am wishing that this grand old house might be acquired by a cooperative housing group, of people who want to live together, eat together, share the company and responsibilities, and do it right in Camden, a walking town, near the library, the post office, grocery store, town office, shops and restaurants.... And that the community garden out the back might continue to grow vegetables!

Any takers out there?

Hopefully.

Beedy Parker lives in Camden.