Braintree Town Hall -1 John F. Kennedy Memorial Drive -Braintree , MA 02184 -Telephone 781.794.8000

Contact Information:
31 Tenney Road,
Braintree, MA 02184
email:bhsinc@braintreehistorical.org
Please visit the society at www.braintreehistorical.org

Braintree was founded on land first colonized in 1625 by Captain Wollaston, and initially named Mount Wollaston. Under the rule of Thomas Morton it was renamed Merry Mount. The area was resettled and incorporated as the town of Braintree, named after the English town of Braintree in 1640, on land which is now part of the current town of Braintree, from which Randolph, Holbrook, the City of Quincy, and part of Milton were split off. Braintree is the birthplace to Presidents John Adams, and John Quincy Adams, as well as statesman John Hancock and General Sylvanus Thayer. Braintree is also the site of the infamous Sacco and Vanzetti murders as well as the retirement home of the co-inventor of the telephone Thomas Watson.



Learn more about Braintree’s Past at the Braintree Historical Society

Founded in 1930 and incorporated in 1938, the Braintree Historical Society is a rich source of information for anyone interested in Braintree’s history. The Society owns and operates the General Sylvanus Thayer Birthplace, the Gilbert Bean Museum, and the Watson Library and Research Center. The Society’s main campus is located on Washington Street across from the Town Hall and next to the Thayer Public Library.

Hours of Operation:

Gilbert Bean Museum
10:00 A.M.- 4:30 P.M. Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, & Wednesday
Please call 781-848-1640 for information on current exhibits

Thayer Birthplace house tours
10:00 A.M.- 4:30 P.M. Saturday & Sunday
By Appointment on Tuesday & Wednesday
Please call 781-848-1640 for information or to schedule a tour

Watson Library & Research Center
10:00 A.M.- 4:30 P.M. Saturday, Sunday, & Monday
For library and research inquiries, please call 781-843-1518

Photos of Braintree of Years Past

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