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AHistory
History · Atherton

Atherton dates to 1795, and 17% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 85% of U.S. towns · #18 of 847 in California. What drives it

Its Register listings are the Holbrook-Palmer Estate, "Elmwood", the Commodore James Watkins House and the Arthur C. and Judith Mathews House. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1897 on, and the census since 1930.

1795founded
3on the National Register
17%homes built before 1940
3old photos & papers
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Atherton’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Atherton began

When was Atherton founded?

1795

Atherton dates its founding to 1795 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1930.

First census: 1,324 in 19302020 census: 7,188231 years

How historic is Atherton?

A

More historic than 85% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1867.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Atherton’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Atherton is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #18 of 847 in California. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.

A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Atherton’s overall grade.
Founding era1795, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194017.2% of homes (±5.1) · typical CA town 3.4% · U.S. 8.4%BNational Register3 listings, 4 historic buildings, 5.7 per 10,000 residents · typical CA town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 85%
NewerOlder
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 98%

Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Atherton’s 5.7 sits above most of its state (89% of California towns have fewer) while its 4 historic buildings outnumber those of 68% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1795.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.1 points).

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Atherton’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 3 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18976 editions of the USGS map, 1897 to 1991. Watch Atherton change.Deep rootsEstablished in 1795: 231 years of Atherton.Old housesHalf of Atherton’s homes were built before 1960.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Atherton’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Atherton’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo3 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewWatkins-Cartan House, 25 Isabella Avenue: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Atherton on the map, 1897 to 1991

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Atherton. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Atherton on the 1897 USGS mapAtherton on the 1943 USGS mapAtherton on the 1953 USGS mapAtherton on the 1961 USGS mapAtherton on the 1973 USGS mapAtherton on the 1991 USGS map1897Palo Alto sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Atherton.

Timeline

Atherton, 1795 to 1991

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 18th century
  2. 1795
    FoundingAtherton is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1867Post officeThe Fair Oaks post office opens
  5. 1871Post officeThe Fair Oaks post office closes
  6. 1897On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  7. 20th century
  8. 1980Born hereDrew Fuller is born here
  9. 1991Born hereJerry Rice, Jr is born here
The story

How Atherton came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Atherton.

Read it all →

The entire area was originally part of the Rancho de las Pulgas. During the 1860s, Atherton was known as Fair Oaks. In 1923, Menlo Park wanted to incorporate its lands to include Fair Oaks, but the Fair Oaks property owners chose to incorporate separately. The name Fair Oaks was already in use, so the property owners decided to rename the town in honor of Faxon Dean Atherton, a former 19th century landowner on the south peninsula.

ChaptersLawsuit against the electrification of CaltrainLand use and housing

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Atherton, decade by decade

Date unknown3 to date
Watkins-Cartan House, 25 Isabella AvenueDate?Watkins-Cartan House, 25 Isabella AvenueWatkins-Cartan Carriage House, 25 Isabella AvenueDate?Watkins-Cartan Carriage House, 25 Isabella AvenueLinden Towers Gates, Middlefield Road at James LaneDate?Linden Towers Gates, Middlefield Road at James Lane
Today4 recent
Exterior entrance of the Menlo Circus Club2026Exterior entrance of the Menlo Circus ClubExterior entrance of the Menlo Circus Club 22026Exterior entrance of the Menlo Circus Club 2Adelante Selby Spanish Immersion School Entrance Sign2026Adelante Selby Spanish Immersion School Entrance SignHolbrook-Palmer Park2014Holbrook-Palmer Park
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Watkins-Cartan House, 25 Isabella Avenue
Retake this viewWatkins-Cartan House, 25 Isabella Avenue

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Atherton’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

3 historic places in Atherton

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
3
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
4
each building in a district counts
first listed
2008
Commodore James Watkins House
Holbrook-Palmer Estate, "Elmwood"Commodore James Watkins HouseArthur C. and Judith Mathews House
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Gothic Revival1
Holbrook-Palmer Estate, "Elmwood"Building
All 3 listings
Commodore James Watkins HouseBuilding · listed 2008Arthur C. and Judith Mathews HouseBuilding · listed 2021

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Atherton, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00019401960198020002020Peak: 8,085

Between 1,324 and 8,085 people in every census since 1930.

10 censuses, 1930–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Atherton’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Atherton

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Drew FullerAmerican actor and former male model · b. 1980
Jerry Rice, JrAmerican football player · b. 1991
Places that used to be

Lost post offices and old corners

Another post office, Fair Oaks, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Hamlets and corners on the map
LindenwoodLloyden Park

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Woodside4 historic placesB+Menlo Park4 historic placesB−West Menlo ParkIts storyC−North Fair OaksIts storyC+Redwood City10 historic placesB−

Questions about Atherton’s history

What year was Atherton founded?

In 1795, according to Wikidata. Atherton’s post office opened in 1867, and the census of 1930 counted 1,324 people here.

How does Atherton rank for history?

Atherton is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #18 of 847 in California. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Atherton?

Three places: the Holbrook-Palmer Estate, "Elmwood" (listed 2016), the Commodore James Watkins House (2008) and the Arthur C. and Judith Mathews House (2021).

How old are the homes in Atherton?

17% of Atherton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.1 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1960.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (4), the Library of Congress (3), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.