Steve Jobs' Childhood Home to Become Historical Site

[fixmymac]

I think this idolization of Steve Jobs is going too far. Yes, he changed the world, created new markets, and did great things. He was also many negative things. Time to move on.

The first 5 words of your second sentence justify this act. Those 5 words apply to many historic figures... as do the words in your third sentence.

There will be few, if any, historic figures that don't have a plethora of 'negatives'. Yet they, rightly, maintain their places in history and are revered today and will be for many years to come.

 

[Will do good]

Shouldn't they build an Apple Store? Like they build a church on the site of a saint's tomb. They are the churches of the religion of which he is the messiah.

I'm sure he'll rise again any day now.

Seriously though, if you see the scenes at a store opening there is more than a touch of Evangelism there.

Why the jealous/hate, what did Steve do to you?

 

[Nevaborn]

I totally support this and would one day love to visit and see the house where one of the most important men in human history lived and helped create the future of human society.

 

[Suraj R.]

What about Woz's house? He's just as important as he helped kick start Steve into the icon he is and the industries he influenced. Who knows where SJ would have ended up if he hadn't met Woz.

But they didn't start Apple Computers in Steve Wozniaks's house – the company began at Jobs' home.

 

[Macwick]

Oh god, any excuse huh? I think the Jobs family will have availed themselves of plenty of services provided for them by their government and the taxes they paid. Presumably creating an era of peace, a secure neighborhood where tech firms could prosper, where his family could afford a home and providing access to education were all just meddling by The Man? Although I suspect Jobs probably was something of a deluded Rand follower too.

All excellent points. "He didn't build that". LOL.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

I'll never understand people who don't feel anything when standing at a historic site. I've stood in front of this house and knowing what went on there gave the experience quite a bit of gravitas.

I think a lot of you would go to the Titanic exhibit, shrug, and say "That's just a dinner plate".

 

[Macwick]

except for borders, streets, electrical, infrastructure, banks, etc... yeah no help.

You make a good point. When I think about who built Apple into the most incredibly innovative company on earth, 'streets' is at the top of the list.

 

[firewood]

It's literally the birth place of the PC.

That honor usually goes to wherever the kits for the Altair or Kenback PCs were first designed or assembled. A year or so before the Apple 1.

 

[deyorew]

oddly enough the house itself looks exactly like my house in the bay area. its a very common house in the bay area from the 1950s housing boom. I wonder which room was Steve's...

Still I think it is a bit much to call it a cultural location. there is nothing particular about the house itself, just what happened inside. and even with that, it was just one step along the way of many places that Steve probably "built computers"

I think Steve built less a computer and more a computer and electronics empire.

The last things the other people on that street want is traffic due to that particular house.

 

[TheHateMachine]

Suffer not the cultist.

 

[lincolntran]

except for borders, streets, electrical, infrastructure, banks, etc... yeah no help.

No help. That's correct.

We didn't get the services you mentioned for free. We pay for them at ridiculous prices.

And guess what else? When a person who worked his/her ass off and got a bonus. Why does he/she has to pay a 40% tax rate instead of the normal already high tax rate for his income? The government didn't help getting him the bonus. They just take and take.

 

[IJ Reilly]

For those more interested in the case at hand than political trash talk, here is the city's staff report:

http://www.losaltosca.gov/sites/def..._former_steve_jobs_residence_staff_report.pdf

Notable from reviewing the report and agenda is that this isn't a new issue (the city has been reviewing it for two years). Also, the report is still a draft, so the statement that the city is conducting a "historic property evaluation on Monday, which could see the house preserved indefinitely upon approval," is essentially wrong.

The attachments to the document are worth a look, and include the original Apple partnership agreement.

 

[jonnysods]

I think it's a good move. The garage changed our lives.

 

[sumo24]

This is really cool. I think visiting this could even inspire. In another 50 years it would be great to compare what the architecture was like around the birth of the PC.

 

[Ma1Garv]

Ridiculous

 

[saronian]

Worth preserving if only to help inspire those who did not live through the emergence and development of personal computing.

 

[3282868]

No help. That's correct.

We didn't get the services you mentioned for free. We pay for them at ridiculous prices.

And guess what else? When a person who worked his/her ass off and got a bonus. Why does he/she has to pay a 40% tax rate instead of the normal already high tax rate for his income? The government didn't help getting him the bonus. They just take and take.

I sincerely hope English is your second language, otherwise this is a prime example of what happens when education costs are cut.

 

[squeeks]

Other historical figures have had their homes become historical sites. This is no different except for the fact that this is where the personal computer industry was essentially born.

It would be nice for future generations to have the house restored to how it was in 1976 when Apple was started to see what the conditions were like when the first personal computers were invented.

It's not Steve Jobs worship. This is genuine history.

^^ This

If Edgar allen poe's birthplace is a historical landmark why not steve jobs, and I am far from an apple fan boy, my main computer is a PC I use an android for goodness sake!

 

[blesscheese]

On the one hand, it does seem to be going too far...

On the other hand, this is an historic site...the world really hasn't been the same since. Maybe it is harder to see something as historic, when you are living contemporary to the people who made history.

The other thing to remember is, this is California. Crap that is 50 years+ is considered historic. My town is going crazy over its 100th anniversary of its founding. I find that hard to really go crazy over, seeing that the county I grew up in in NJ was founded in 1648, and my mom grew up in a house about 250 years old...

To each their own, I 'spose...

 

[IJ Reilly]

On the one hand, it does seem to be going too far...

On the other hand, this is an historic site...the world really hasn't been the same since. Maybe it is harder to see something as historic, when you are living contemporary to the people who made history.

The other thing to remember is, this is California. Crap that is 50 years+ is considered historic. My town is going crazy over its 100th anniversary of its founding. I find that hard to really go crazy over, seeing that the county I grew up in in NJ was founded in 1648, and my mom grew up in a house about 250 years old...

To each their own, I 'spose...

The other thing to remember is, this is MacRumors, where crap like this passes for deep thought.

Hint: the minimum age standard for the National Register of Historic Places is 50 years. Nationwide.

 

[McPc]

So is the house still owned by the Job's family? I read part of the report and see Patricia Jobs listed as owner but was wondering if anyone is currently living in that house?

 

[newyorksole]

What about Woz's house? He's just as important as he helped kick start Steve into the icon he is and the industries he influenced. Who knows where SJ would have ended up if he hadn't met Woz.

Jesus Christ let the man get his recognition...

Everyone knows Woz as well. Steve was obviously more of the front runner. Maybe when Woz passes away they'll do something. Steve's deceased so of course he's going to get even way more credit now.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I think this idolization of Steve Jobs is going too far. Yes, he changed the world, created new markets, and did great things. He was also many negative things. Time to move on.

I don't know anyone who idolizes Jobs as a human being. Clearly he was far from being nominated for sainthood. But his contributions to society are undeniable.

Certainly the garage that started the home computer revolution is worthy of being preserved, not as an homage to Jobs, but as a piece of history -- there were others in that garage that happened to belong to Jobs' parents. Of course that doesn't necessarily mean it should be preserved on-site. That does seem a little silly given its in the burbs. But if the current owners ever want to demolish the home I could see cutting away the garage and shipping it to a computer museum or Smithsonian.

 

[patchfp86]

I think the responses to this post are kinda funny. Remember, we are reading about this on a site for Mac fanatics. Most people in the world won't even know this is happening. (Unless you live in Los Altos...) As to whether or not it goes too far, who cares? There are clearly people out there that idolized Steve. If they wanna keep his house from being knocked down so be it.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Certainly the garage that started the home computer revolution is worthy of being preserved, not as an homage to Jobs, but as a piece of history -- there were others in that garage that happened to belong to Jobs' parents. Of course that doesn't necessarily mean it should be preserved on-site. That does seem a little silly given its in the burbs. But if the current owners ever want to demolish the home I could see cutting away the garage and shipping it to a computer museum or Smithsonian.

At which point it wouldn't be historical at all. Good plan.

FWIW, the article contains another error when it implies that the city of Los Altos prohibits the demolition historic landmarks. It doesn't.