Halfway down on the other end of the Mall stood Montgomery and Lawrence halls. The larger former building faced the Mall on the edge of what became the 12-acre Lawrence Gardens, known as "the Kensington Gardens of Lahore.The funds for the smaller Henry Lawrence Hall came from public subscriptions raised in 1861-62 in his memory. The building itself was opened in December 1864. Lawrence Hall was the centre of colonial public life in Lahore; the main public building was used for concerts, theatricals and "other entertainments" like magic lantern exhibitions, Minstrels, the Great Australian Circus and variety groups were regular visitors.