The Society of the Hawley Family, with members from across the United States, celebrated its 100th anniversary in Newtown in honor of one of its founding members, Mary Hawley.

Much was planned for September 29, a day members would spend at Edmond Town Hall (ETH) for tours, a lunch, talks from local historians, and a ceremony honoring friends of the society.

The event marked the society’s 90th reunion out of 100 years of its existence, a difference Hawley Society President Linda Hawley mentioned was because of “wars and COVID.”

“I did not know the depth of her contributions to Newtown until I got here, and I was amazed,” said Linda Hawley.

“We realized they’re in love with Mary E. Hawley — what she gave this town — and she’s one of us," she continued, referencing local residents and their continued respect and admiration for the woman long referred to as the town's benefactress.

Edmond Town Hall Business Manager Lauren DiMartino gave an introduction about Mary Hawley to society members and their guests, who gathered in the Alexandria Room before departing on tours around the building with Operations Manager Anthony Sartori and Office Manager Whitney Giannelli.

“Mary Hawley was a trailblazer in her day, and certainly today she would be considered a trailblazer,” said DiMartino.

During her tour, DiMartino detailed the original and current usage of the building for the guests, and offered details on how those at Edmond Town Hall honor Hawleys in the present day.

“On different anniversaries, on her birthday, we always had red gladiolus,” said DiMartino regarding flowers displayed beneath Mary Hawley’s portrait in a room named after her just off the building’s main lobby.

DiMartino said people who visit the historic building are often curious and want to be shown around, and explained the location brings up elements of nostalgia for visitors. She detailed recent upgrades, success with grants, and innovative ways that have been found to generate revenue to keep the facility sustainable.

“[Mary Hawley] was forward-thinking,” commented one society member to another during the tour. “Lots of space for everything to come.”

Throughout transitional moments in the tour, distant family members turned to each other to inquire where each other was from and initiate warm introductions.

Cities that could be spotted on name tags were Gainesville, Florida; Marysville, Washington; Davis, California; Carson City, Nevada; Alexandria, Virginia; Woodbury, Minnesota; Furley, Pennsylvania; Windsor, Colorado; and Lincoln, Nebraska, among others.

After a lunch, the group enjoyed presentations by Town Historian Ben Cruson and retired history educator Gordon Williams.

Williams gave a thorough, yet quick overview of the highlights of Newtown history starting with its Native American populations pre-European contact.

Cruson detailed Hawley and the history of her family, which he said had a lot of sorrow. He gave an overview of her accomplishments, and added some possibly lesser-known evidence of her personality.

“She would sometimes go into the general store, buy some candy, and give it to the kids who were in town,” said Cruson.

Several Acknowledgements

Later in the day, Hawley Society and other spectators gathered for a ceremony in the ETH theater.

Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers Chair Jennifer Guman welcomed society members to the building, which she called Newtown’s “original community center.”

“The mission of the board of managers and staff is to enrich the community by continuing to provide a place for generations of residents and neighbors to make memories by gathering to celebrate and enjoy arts, social, civic, sports, entertainment and milestone events and activities.”

Guman referenced the work of the volunteers and staff who “put their heart and soul into the building” to provide the “best environment for the community” and surrounding communities.

First Selectman Dan Rosenthal was invited to the stage, and said the ETH Board of Managers rose to the occasion when there were questions about what the fate of the building would be after town offices migrated in 2009.

The first selectman delivered a proclamation that included a history of Mary Hawley’s life and works, and established a Newtown Holiday.

“...Mary will be remembered as one of Connecticut’s outstanding women who valued money for the service it might render to humanity rather than for personal ends,” read Rosenthal, before continuing, “Now therefore be it resolved that I … do hereby proclaim September 29, 2023 as Society of the Hawley Family Day in the town of Newtown, Connecticut, in honor of its 100th anniversary of its establishment.”

This declaration was met with applause before society member Bronson Hawley invited Newtown Savings Bank President Ken Weinstein to the stage.

“Mary was actually not a large customer of the bank. Back in her time, the bank restricted the amount of deposits that anyone could put in in any one given year,” said Weinstein. “The fact that her account was modest, does not mean that her relationship with the bank was small.” Weinstein said his predecessor, Arthur T. Nettleton, “served as a key advisor to Mary” during the building of The Hawley School, Newtown Village Cemetery improvements, the construction of and continued maintenance and upkeep of Edmond Town Hall, and the posthumous gift of C.H. Booth Library.

(Read more here: Details From Mary Hawley's Will)

Weinstein then announced the establishment of The Mary Hawley Community Service Award, adding it was established to recognize the reunion and Mary’s “incredible and indelible contributions to the town of Newtown.’”

According to Weinstein, “the award will be presented annually starting next year to recognize a Newtown resident for outstanding volunteer service and commitment to the Newtown community.” A master plaque recognizing the recipients will be displayed at ETH. Weinstein said in addition, the bank will make a contribution of $1,000 in the recipient’s name to a Newtown-based nonprofit of their choice.

“To know Newtown is to know a community that really is driven by volunteerism. Very little happens because of me,” said Rosenthal in response, referencing a “robust” volunteer-driven government, volunteer fire departments, and Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

Newtown’s ‘Special Sauce’

“The magic of Newtown, the ‘special-sauce’ of Newtown, is really volunteerism,” said Rosenthal, adding that the award is “a wonderful way” to recognize Newtown volunteers and connect it to Mary Hawley’s contributions.

“I think very few communities in the country, if not the world, could point to somebody who gifted so much to the community,” said Rosenthal. “Mary came at a time where we got to have things where other communities could only look at in awe in terms of what she did for us.”

“Nothing that she gave bore her name directly, but now it will,” said Bronson Hawley in his comment onstage. “Every year, citizens, old, young, will learn of what she did … to benefit the town, the society, and all of us.”

After this, Linda Hawley presented Jenn Guman with a picture of the original Hawley Society for ETH, including co-founder Mary Hawley from 1924, its first reunion.

She was also presented a certificate, “for leadership in managing Edmond Town Hall as a Newtown landmark and honoring the legacy of Mary Elizabeth Hawley,” and a commemorative mug.

Guman accepted these gifts with clear surprise and delighted laughter.

In a comment to The Newtown Bee about how she felt about receiving the photograph on behalf of ETH, Guman searched for words.

“Surprised, happy, overwhelmed with joy,” she said. “One of the things we do here is preserve Mary Hawley’s history … It’s an important tradition to keep educating all the different generations on why this building is here and who gave it to the town.”

“Truly I don’t do this by myself,” Guman said in her statement of thanks, referencing staff and volunteers. “We pull people in and it really is a community effort, I definitely don’t do it by myself.”

Rosenthal also received a certificate of appreciation for establishing the holiday, and Weinstein received a certificate for himself and the bank, for leadership and support in establishing the Mary Hawley Service Award.

Newtown Bee Editor John Voket was also recognized to his surprise with a certificate. Linda Hawley described the local newspaper as “a big help” in promoting the family’s upcoming reunion.

After the ceremony ended, but before dining at Marygold’s on Main and catching a film back at Edmond Town Hall, society members visited Mary Hawley’s grave site at Newtown Village Cemetery to pay their respects by laying a bouquet of her favorite red gladiolus on her grave.

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Reporter Noelle Veillette can be reached at noelle@thebee.com.