One of Newtown's most prolific benefactor, Mary Eizabeth Hawley donated the library to the town. Named after her maternal grandfather, who worked as a doctor for 50 years during the 19th century, The Cyrenius H. Booth Library opened on Dec. 17, 1932 with 25,000 volumes. Constructed to be fireproof and containing cork floors and ceiling tiles that helped to deaden sound, the building also had a built-in humidifier and centralized vacuum cleaner. Philip Sutherland, who also designed Edmond Town Hall, was the architect. An addition was begun in 1996 that added meeting space and areas for library displays.