Auerfarm State Park Scenic Reserve

Auerfarm State Park Scenic Reserve, a 40-acre parcel in Bloomfield, was donated to the state park system and will forever be linked to the legacy of Beatrice Fox Auerbach (1887-1968), a Hartford philanthropic native who was prominent in the civic, educational and cultural life of the city. This portion of her Bloomfield farmland was presented as a gift to the people of Connecticut.

Starting in 1925 with Mr. George Auerbach's original purchase of farmland in Bloomfield and continuing the agrarian legacy through to 2015 when 40 acres were donated to the State of Connecticut as a state park in the memory of Dorothy and Bernard Schiro, Auerfarm has made history, seen heartbreak and set records for 90 years of Connecticut's history.

Led for most of its history by Beatrice Fox Auerbach, who inherited the farm in 1927 after her husband's passing, Mrs. Auerbach committed to make the land one of Bloomfield’s most notable farms.

Under her stewardship the location proved to be the showplace of cutting-edge poultry farming technology in 1935; and subsequently, over 20 years later, won top prizes for its peach and plum entries at competitive fruit judging contests.

1955 brought heartbreak as the main dairy barn was lost to fire due to spontaneous combustion in the hay storage area. (All the animals escaped safely). Strict and careful planning brought a new barn of tile and brick and used an underground conveyor system to safely move hay into the facility.

All the while Beatrice Fox Auerbach was the beloved president of the G. Fox and Company department store in downtown Hartford. In 1956 Forbes Magazine listed Mrs. Auerbach as one of America’s leading businesswomen. She has been remembered as an animal lover and an advocate of working people, an advocate of wildlife and, gladly, an advocate for both open space and outdoor education.

Mrs. Auerbach passed away in 1968, her successful Guernsey dairy herd having been donated the year before to the University of Connecticut Animal Science Department. In 1977, much of the farm's land was passed to the Connecticut 4-H Development Fund. The remaining 40 acres of the farm property has been preserved in perpetuity in conjunction with the CT Forest and Park Association which will manage a conservation easement on the property. In 2015 it became Connecticut’s 110th state park and will be managed as a State Park Scenic Reserve.