Steve Jobs bought a 30-room mansion in 1984; it was demolished in 201
Steve Jobs purchased the historic Jackling House in 1984 but spent years fighting preservationists to demolish it. The mansion was eventually torn down in 2011 to make way for a more modern residence.
Why it matters
The story highlights the tension between architectural preservation and the personal property rights of high-profile tech figures.
For a house that once embodied California wealth and architectural ambition, the end came not with a grand renovation but with bulldozers. The Jackling House, a sprawling Spanish Colonial Revival mansion in the wealthy Silicon Valley town of Woodside, became the center of a years-long fight between Steve Jobs and preservationists. According to an online report by Fortune and Architectural Record, Jobs wanted it gone and hoped to replace it with a smaller, more modern home. Preservationists saw something very different: a rare piece of California architectural history worth saving. In the end, Jobs got his way. The 17,250-square-foot mansion was demolished in 2011, although many of its historic fixtures were salvaged before the building disappeared.A grand home with an unusual pastThe house was commissioned in the 1920s by Daniel C. Jackling, a self-made copper millionaire whose business transformed the American copper industry.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in