01/06/2026
Hope you are all enjoying the winter magic in our town parks! Thought we'd share some park histories here.
Let's start with Beachland Park.
This park opened in 1932, after the Beach family donated part of their farm to the Town for a public park. The Beach family has a long and influential history in West Hartford. The patriarch Charles M. Beach built Vine Hill Farm, one of the biggest dairy farms in Connecticut. His son Charles Edward Beach went on to create the certified milk business in Connecticut and produced "baby's milk" or "Clinical Milk," which was made under specific hygienic conditions.
In 1859, Charles M. Beach of Hartford purchased an old homestead on Vine Hill Road and New Britain Avenue. The property holding was extended to Quaker Lane South by his son and was developed as Vine Hill Farm, which was one of the most prominent dairying businesses in the Hartford area. It included a grist mill, powered by Trout Brook, and the Elmwood Creamery, which is now the Beachland Park Clubhouse. Frank H. Stadtmueller, the long-time farm manager, became Connecticut’s Dairy and Food Commissioner, and helped establish fine food standards for the nation.
The first outdoor public pool was built in 1936, and a second pool was built in 1956. A deep end was added to one of the pools in the 1960’s. A wading pool was installed in 1972, and was removed in the early 2000’s. In 2015, the aquatics area was rebuilt, and now consists of one zero-depth entry pool, a bathhouse with ADA compliant family changing rooms, and a spray pad.
The Beachland House still exists at the park’s entrance on Quaker Lane South and supports Leisure Services summer staff. Future plans include renovating the historic building as a community cultural center. The park also features a pond, soccer and baseball fields, basketball courts, a picnic grove and a dog park. The Beachland Park is adjacent to the 100 Mayflower Street property, the home of West Hartford’s new community center.
We remember Town Historian Tracey Wilson, who provided this information to us. Thank you.
Send a message to learn more
