Houghs Neck facts for kids

View looking SSW from Nut Island toward homes on Great Hill in the Houghs Neck neighborhood of Quincy, Massachusetts.

Houghs Neck is a small piece of land in Quincy, Massachusetts. It is a peninsula, which means it is mostly surrounded by water but still connected to the mainland. Houghs Neck is about one square mile (2.6 square kilometers) in size.

It is surrounded by Quincy Bay, Hingham Bay, and Rock Island Cove. You can find Perry Beach along Manet Avenue. Nut Island is also nearby, located at the very end of the peninsula.

People who live in Houghs Neck often call it "The Neck" or "God's Country." The residents themselves are sometimes called "Neckahs" or "Neck Birds."

The Hough's Neck Pumping Station, known locally as "The Pumpy," is part of the Boston Harbor Islands. You can even walk to Raccoon Island from Houghs Neck when the tide is low. Raccoon Island is about 0.3 square miles.

In 1778, an important person named John Adams left for France from Houghs Neck. He was going on a special trip to represent the United States. He chose to leave from Houghs Neck instead of Boston to avoid being caught by the British army.

History of Houghs Neck

Houghs Neck is named after Atherton Hough. He used to be the mayor of Boston, England. In 1636, he was given this land to use as a farm and an orchard. The local elementary school in the neighborhood is also named after Atherton Hough.

This area was once known as the "flounder capital of the world." Flounder are flat fish that live on the bottom of the ocean. Many years ago, there were six different places where you could rent a boat just to catch these fish in Boston Harbor.

Because Houghs Neck is close to Boston and has a coastline, it was a popular summer vacation spot. This was especially true from the late 1800s through the 1900s. Today, Houghs Neck is a busy neighborhood with many homes.

Getting Around Houghs Neck

Sea Street and Manet Avenue are the main roads in Houghs Neck. You can also get around using public transportation. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has a bus route, the 216. This bus connects Houghs Neck to the Red Line train station in Quincy Center.