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When Cecila Veimyere, 93, first moved into a senior independent-living apartment at Emerson House in Bladensburg 30 years ago, she proclaimed the only way she'd leave was "in a box."

"I'm not moving no more," she recalls thinking.

Veimyere moved into the then-new senior citizen community from her home down the road after her husband died. She was seeking an independent lifestyle surrounded by others. She found herself living with more than 200 senior citizens who organized bingo games, bake sales and other events.

And she hasn't left.

Veimyere was among those who marked Emerson House's 30th anniversary Sept. 16 with a celebration at the building on Emerson Street.

When it opened in 1979, Emerson House was one of the first privately owned, low-income, independent-living residences for seniors in Prince George's County, said Marilyn Blount, resident services coordinator.

The high-rise building houses 243 residents who must be able to live independently with some help from the building's resident services coordinators. The apartments are rent-controlled with no utility fees. The building stays occupied for those reasons, Blount said.

"A lot of people are fighting to get into buildings like these," she added.

The building still looks the same but the population has changed over the past 30 years, residents and building officials say. The building went from one that housed predominately white residents to one with a more ethnically- and racially-diverse population, Blount said.

Veimyere is one of three residents who has lived in the building since it opened. She has seen many residents and friends come and go in her time, she said.

Before she moved into Emerson House, Veimyere helped to care for a 97-year-old neighbor.

"She said, ‘Oh no, you're not going to leave me,'" Veimyere recalled. "So I got her in here too, and I got her [to move] across the hall from me."

Veimyere remains active in building activities and attends many events, Blount said.

Harriet Mills, 96, also has lived in Emerson House since it opened. She's been the building's librarian, crocheted dolls for residents, made goodies for bake sales and participated in other activities.

Mills said she gets great satisfaction "that I can do and be on my own. I don't have to worry about anyone else or have someone take care of me."

Lillie Coleman is the third original Emerson House resident.

Blount said she intends to forge greater connections between residents and the surrounding community in the future, adding that she particularly wants to expand programs that bring young people into contact with seniors, such as Halloween trick-or-treating.

"I have learned a lot from [the residents] and I know they have a lot to tell a child," Blount said.

Deputy town administrator Tim McNamara has worked for Bladensburg for 41 years. He remembers walking the halls of Emerson House while monitoring security when the building first opened.

Emerson House residents always have been civically and politically active in the town, he said, adding that residents serve on town committees and volunteer for town efforts.

"They don't look at the Emerson House as a building, they look at it as home, and home is located within Bladensburg," McNamara said. "They're very active with our community."

In the meantime, Veimyere and the other original residents show no signs of slowing down.

"I didn't think the Lord would let me live to 75," Veimyere said. "God gave me all these extra years and I guess my life on earth is not finished yet."

E-mail Elahe Izadi at eizadi@gazette.net.