John Van Leary built the hotel in Hawarden in 1909.   It was origially called the Mary Edger Hotel.   Van Leary died in 1910, and his wife Lena remarried Harry Crompton.   Harry was killed overseas in 1916 while fighting with the Canadian Armed Forces during the First World War.   Twice widowed, Lena continued to live in the Hawarden Hotel until 1956, when she went into a nursing home.   She died in 1962 at age 92.   The hotel building was sold to Mr.and Mrs. T. Riley in 1960, and burned down shortly afterwards.

Historical information courtesy of Joan Champ