The Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers held its fourth "Visioning Session," Tuesday morning, April 19, with the goal of developing a business plan for the historic building at 45 Main Street.

Board Chairman Margot S. Hall said, "We will have these sessions until we have enough information and direction to come up with an end result."

In past years, since town offices relocated out of Edmond Town Hall and into Newtown Municipal Center, the board has known it would have spaces to fill, along with maintaining scheduling for its gymnasium, banquet hall, and theater.

Ms Hall hopes to market the town hall space "even more successfully" for a facility that offers office space, meetings rooms, a kitchen, and more. The facility, which has several full-time tenants, is also available for residents to rent and hold various events and parties.

The Visioning Session dialogue and question-and-answer phase is ongoing, Ms Hall said, "In an effort to generate business - there are a lot of aspects to that. The end result will be to convince folks that we have something to offer, to communicate with the public." She and other Board of Managers members will "explore different markets."

The building is historical, "that's for sure," Ms Hall said. Benefactress Mary Hawley donated the building to Newtown, but died just before it was finished in 1930, Ms Hall said. "And, with great intentions she established a trust fund, but it does not carry the expense of maintaining the building."

Ms Hawley intended the building and grounds to be for the community, said Ms Hall.

"That's why we have the gymnasium, and the theater for entertainment. The town hall once had a bowling alley, and still offers office spaces and the Alexandria Room for banquet space with the adjoining kitchen. The space is all meant for public consumption," Ms Hall said.

Ms Hall indicated that the managers would hold additional sessions. Visit the town calendar of events for dates and times at newtown-ct.gov.

Learn more about the community building and what it has to offer at edmondtownhall.org.

According to the site, "This 1930 Georgian style building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, houses a 500-seat proscenium theater, a formal banquet room with seating for more than 100, a gymnasium with up to 600 person capacity and various meeting rooms. All spaces are available for rent to host your next meeting, fundraiser, wedding, or other special event."

Historical information from the website discusses Mary Elizabeth Hawley, Newtown's benefactor; and Judge William Edmond, the building's namesake.

Mary Hawley moved to Newtown at the age of 15 and later in life used her family inheritance to make generous gifts to the community, including Hawley School, Edmond Town Hall, The Soldiers and Sailors Monument and, posthumously, Cyrenius H. Booth Library. She made many other generous bequests to Newtown and to other communities.

Edmond Town Hall was presented to Newtown on August 22, 1930, her birthday. Sadly, Ms Hawley did not live to see the building completed. She died in May 1930 and the bell on the Edmond Town Hall clock tower first rang for her funeral.

Judge Edmond was Mary Hawley's maternal great-grandfather. He was born in Woodbury in 1755, studied at Yale University, fought in the Revolutionary War under General Wooster, practiced law in Newtown, and served in the State Assembly in 1795 and in the United States House of Representatives from 1797 until 1801, when he retired. Judge Edmond then served as judge in the Connecticut Superior Court from 1805 to 1819. He died in Newtown in 1838.