HP's Historic Garage Becomes a National Landmark

In a rare move, an American corporate building was given the designation National Historic Landmark. The famous home and garage where Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard set up their workshop in 1938 had already been made a California registered landmark in 1987, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

In order for the Palo Alto home to become a national treasure, it had to be fully restored and brought back to its original condition. Fortunately there was enough information and documentation to make the restoration accurate. They used bits of old paint chips to match the original colours on the house. The restored garage and home has tools used at the time, old coffee cans on the workbench, and an Audio Oscillator Model 200B.

Even the Fiesta ware style of dishes the family used, are in the newly remodeled downstairs flat Packard and his wife Lucile lived in. Bill Hewlett lived in a shack next to the tiny garage. The owner of the home, Ione Spencer lived in the flat upstairs from the Packards.

In 2000 HP repurchased the unassuming home and historic garage in the quiet Palo Alto neighborhood that launched an empire and an industry. They paid 1.7 million for the house and tiny garage on Addison Avenue.

The historic garage was neglected and in bad shape with rotting fir panels full of holes. The bad wood was replaced and the holes patched up. The garage was retrofitted with steel beams to help it withstand any possible earthquake damage. The tall fences blocking the view of the tiny rear garage were removed and replaced with a fence curious people passing by will be able to see through.

In 1938 Dave Packard and Bill Hewlett set up the garage workshop and started their business with a whopping $538. They created their first product an Audio Oscillator which was considered more stable than their competitor's products. It sold for less than half the price their competitors were charging. Disney used their product to improve the sound in their film "Fantasia". In fact they bought eight of Hewlett and Packard's improved Oscillators. The better quality product was just the edge Hewlett and Packard needed to get their fledgling business going.

Two years after they set up their now famous garage workshop, they moved their business about 10 minutes away to Page Mill Road in Palo Alto. The company still has offices there.

The garage and home will only be open for special occasions and tours so as not to disrupt the current residents in the neighborhood.

Sources:

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_5922482?source=rss&nclick_check=1