Mary Hawley, one of Newtown's most notable benefactresses, began her legacy with the sponsorship of the "new" high school in 1921 (now Hawley School). One of her last philanthropic endeavors was Edmond Town Hall, the landmark building that sadly, she did not live to see completed in 1930.
The hall, a Georgia brick colonial with a proscenium theater, a banquet hall, a large gymnasium and various meeting rooms, was given to the town and named for her maternal grandfather, Judge William Edmond.
In her will, Mary Hawley created an endowment for the building, requiring that town offices use the building at no cost and that the elected Board of Managers oversee the building’s management and maintenance. Today the endowment covers only a small fraction of the cost of maintainting the building. Most of its funding comes from facility rentals and the support of the Mary Hawley Society.
