Atherton Hough Elementary was named for a well-respected political and religious leader of the seventeenth century. Atherton Hough was the mayor of Boston, England, who left his home to come to America because of his religious beliefs. In 1635, Hough was elected assistant to the governor of Massachusetts and allotted 600 acres of land - which later was named Hough's Neck in Quincy. In the nineteenth century, Hough's Neck became one of the premier summer resorts in the Boston area, served by trolley lines and steamers. The summer visitors built cottages which, over time, were converted to year-round residences. Atherton Hough Elementary was founded in 1911. Beginning with four rooms and 162 pupils, Atherton Hough now has seventeen classrooms to serve the children of Hough's Neck.