Braintree was first colonized by Captain Wollaston in 1625. The area was incorporated in 1640 and was named after the English town of Braintree. The town of Braintree* is the birthplace of several renowned people including President John Quincy Adams, General Sylvanus Thayer (known as the Father of West Point), statesman John Hancock and President John Adams.
*Following the American Revolution, Quincy was officially incorporated as a separate town named for Col. John Quincy in 1792.