By Kendra Bobowick

Mysterious, reclusive, and tragic.

Town Historian Daniel Cruson used those words with a tone of sadness as he described Newtown's benefactress Mary Elizabeth Hawley. When writing about her he had noted that she is the most "widely recognized historic personality in Newtown." Largely contributing to her notoriety is Ms Hawley's legacy — she bequeathed hundreds of thousands of dollars to individuals and to the town. "She was probably the most wealthy benefactress in Fairfield County at the time," he said, reflecting back to May 11, 1930, when she died.

In her wake remain locations that largely shape Main Street's facade and still stand within walking distance from the flagpole. The Edmond Town Hall, C.H. Booth Library, Hawley School (on Church Hill Road), and the Inn at Newtown are all Ms Hawley's work.

Designations for the town's share of her last will and testament were clear. "I give…the sum…for the purpose of erecting a building to be used as a free public library…” states one paragraph, while another said that money is "for the purpose of erecting a new Town Hall." Crews built Hawley School during her lifetime, and her former home was converted into what is now the Inn at Newtown.

Ms Hawley did not live long enough to see the library's completion, and never had the chance to step inside the elaborate lobby of Edmond Town Hall. She never got to see her portrait hanging in the Mary Hawley Room, or a movie in the theater. She would never hear the cheers coming from the basketball court or thunder from the bowling alley that has since been replaced with office space, but Dan Cruson believes she could have imagined how the town hall, in particular, would be used.

Some of her intentions are literally spelled out in her will, while other intentions are the result of guesswork. The judge of probate, town clerk, and "other offices and accommodations" would find a home in the Edmond Town Hall, according to her will.

Mr Cruson explained that at the time she had proposed the building, Newtown's existing town hall was just that, a hall. He described it as a large auditorium. In addition, Newtown had a meeting place, and other facilities, but no continuity.

"Offices were scattered," he said. The town clerk's office and probate court were what is now the Scudder Building — the narrow brick building on Main Street across from the C.H. Booth Library. Residents held meetings upstairs.

Ms Hawley's will specifies, "I desire that provision be made" for suitable offices and vaults for the Town Clerk and the Judge of Probate and such other offices and accommodations as "may seem desirable." She was also concerned about record keeping. "She saw getting [the offices] all together and having a real town hall and vaults to protect records," Mr Cruson said.

The new town hall would be named after Ms Hawley's grandfather, Judge William Edmond.

Seeing The Future

Mr Cruson did not think that Ms Hawley foresaw the town hall as the government center it is today. In fact, the first selectman's offices that now occupy the first floor were not considered since the position was part-time in the late 1920s, and the assessor's and tax collector's office are part of an addition that came years later, Mr Cruson said. Although her will clearly describes what the benefactress anticipated, Mr Cruson believes she hoped for more from the building.

Understanding Ms Hawley's intentions is difficult, however. "She made no public comments. You must interpret a lot," Mr Cruson said.

After adding several pieces together, he said with some confidence, "A community center was probably running through her mind because there was a single building where all these things [theater, gym, bowling] could take place, plus the Alexandria Room." Serving as a banquet hall with another small stage and adjacent catering kitchen, the Alexandria Room is now often the location for social functions.

Admitting that he had to "read between the lines," Mr Cruson said, "We must interpret a lot — the interesting thing is Mary Hawley hardly spoke [in public] and rarely came out." The reclusive Ms Hawley did have a close friend who was literally her link to the outside world.

Arthur T. Nettleton is also named in Ms Hawley's will. As the document reveals, she left a large sum, "To my friend in recognition of his long and untiring devotion to my interests."

Mr Cruson said, "A lot came through him." He continued, "We learned from [Mr] Nettleton as he developed plans with the architect at the time." Ms Hawley saw and approved plans that included a gym and bowling alley, for example. Mr Cruson said, "So my natural assumption is a community center."

Further interpreting her intentions for the Edmond Town Hall building, Mr Cruson said, "Again, you have to read between the lines." He noted that Ms Hawley insisted on a movie theater, which was equipped for sound. The town hall theater may have been one of the first in the area fitted for sound films, he said. The building also has a stage, gymnasium, meeting rooms, and a banquet hall and kitchen.

Making Change

The Edmond Town Hall is now on the brink of change. As municipal employees prepare to relocate and move out of their offices, Mary Hawley could not have known that the Edmond Town Hall she bequeathed to Newtown would one day serve as something other than a municipal and community building. Envisioning the town hall without its municipal offices could not have crossed her mind, Mr Cruson speculates. "I don't think she could have conceived of it."

Mr Cruson made the comparison, "It's like talking about walking on the moon — science fiction." From late in her lifetime in 1929 when she leaned down to touch the cornerstone as crews laid the foundation for the building, the 20th Century would not see a man walk on the moon for several decades.

Board of Managers member Jane Sharpe feels the weight of town offices relocating. Currently underway are plans to remodel a building at Fairfield Hills where both municipal and education department offices will relocate.

"It will be a major responsibility for the Board of Managers to address what is the best use for the [Edmond Town Hall] — it's no longer the town hall," she said. Ms Sharpe also notes that the will makes provisions through trust funds for the town hall, among other properties, and she wants to "meet the tenets of the will."

Ms Sharpe said, "The Board of Managers needs to find a solution to serve the will and also give the best benefit to the town." Facing a new identity, Ms Sharpe believes focus will fall on the Alexandria Room and kitchen. "They are going to be crucial for the future of the structure."