c. 1905 |
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In Palo Alto, California, a house and shed are built at 367 (then numbered
369) Addison Ave. First documented residents are Dr. John Spencer, a
physician; his wife, Ione, and two adult daughters, Alice and Martha. In
1909, Dr. Spencer is named the first mayor of Palo Alto under the charter
form of government.
1918 |
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The house is divided into two apartments numbered 367 and 369.
1924 |
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A 12 x 18 foot garage appears on Sanborn Insurance maps of Palo Alto.
This roughly coincides with the paving of the city streets to accommodate
the increasing number of automobiles.
1934 |
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Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard graduate from Stanford University.
1935 |
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Dave moves to Schenectady, New York to work for General Electric.
Bill completes graduate work at Stanford.
1936 |
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Bill completes graduate work at MIT and returns to Palo Alto, as a Stanford
research assistant to develop medical equipment for a San Francisco doctor.
(Arranged by Stanford professor Fred Terman.)
1937 |
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Dave visits Bill in Palo Alto; they have their first official business meeting.
1938 |
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During the summer, Fred Terman arranges a Stanford fellowship for Dave
to work with Russ Varian on vacuum tube technology. Dave takes a leave
of absence from GE to move back to Palo Alto and "make a run for it"
with Bill.
Bill searches for an apartment for Dave and specifically chooses 367
Addison Avenue because it has a garage that the two of them can work in.
In September Dave and Lucile move into the three-room apartment on the
first floor (#367), and Bill moves into a shed in the back. Mrs. Spencer,
the now-widowed landlady, lives in the upstairs apartment (#369).
Bill and Dave begin part-time work in the garage with $538 in working
capital. The $538 consists of cash and a used Sears Craftsman drill press.
They develop an audio oscillator, HP’s first product.
1939 |
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January 1, Bill and Dave formalize their partnership. They decide the
company’s name with a coin toss.
Bill moves out of the shed when he and Flora marry. The small building
becomes the company’s business office with a desk and file case.
1940 |
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Having outgrown the garage, Hewlett-Packard moves to a rented building
at 481 Page Mill Road. Dave and Lucile move to Barron Park in Palo Alto.
1944 |
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Mrs. Spencer leaves Palo Alto. Subsequent owners continue to subdivide
the house and rent out its apartments and the garage.
1984 |
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HP decides to pursue historic landmark status in order to ensure that the garage
will be preserved at its original location.
1985 |
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Garage is named a city landmark by the Palo Alto Historic Resources Board.
1987, August 7 |
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Garage is granted California State Landmark status as California Registered
Landmark No. 976. The state also grants
permission for a bronze plaque to be installed at the property.
1989, May 19 |
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Garage is dedicated as a state historic landmark and the “Birthplace of
Silicon Valley.” A plaque is set in a sandstone rock in the front yard.
2000 |
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2000 HP purchases the property.
2004 |
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HP announces plans to renovate and rehabilitate the garage, house and
shed at 367 Addison Ave.
2005, December 6
|
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With preservation efforts complete, the HP garage is re-dedicated
as a state historic landmark and the “Birthplace of Silicon
Valley.”
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