The “sister of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs says she supports preserving their childhood home in Los Altos for posterity, but is unhappy that she was not involved in the endeavor from the get-go,” Jason Green reports for The San Jose Mercury News. “In a phone interview Tuesday, Patricia Jobs said she only learned about the Los Altos Historical Commission’s years-long effort to add the California ranch-style home at 2066 Crist Drive to the city’s historic resources inventory after reading an article by The Daily News. ‘I was not personally notified, even though I am the owner,’ Jobs said.”
“Zach Dahl, a senior planner with the city of Los Altos, said the commission does not need permission from an owner to add a property to the inventory. However, it usually tries to involve the owner. In this case, several letters were sent to the home, he said, but they apparently never made it to Jobs,” Green reports. “Although Jobs owns the home, she does not live there. Her stepmother, Marilyn Jobs, does. The two currently aren’t on speaking terms, Patricia Jobs said.”
MacDailyNews Note: Steven Paul Jobs was adopted at birth by Paul Jobs and Clara Jobs. The Jobs family moved from San Francisco to Mountain View, California when Jobs was five years old. The parents later adopted a daughter, Patty. Clara Jobs died in 1986 at age 62 of lung cancer. Paul Jobs subsequently married Marilyn Jobs. Paul Jobs died on March 5, 1993.
“Patricia Jobs and Dahl discussed the commission’s effort to preserve the home by phone Monday morning. Dahl said he hopes to work with Jobs to correct any factual errors in a ‘historic property evaluation.’ The document, which was reviewed by the commission Monday night, is a precursor to setting a public hearing to add the property to the inventory.,” Green reports. “Dahl said the designation would essentially add another layer of review if renovations to the home are sought. The commission would be able to make a recommendation to the city council about any proposed changes to the property.”
Read more in the full article here.
Related article:
Steve Jobs’ childhood home, where Apple was born, may soon become protected historical site – September 23, 2013
I hope they let her get actively involved in the restoration process. She was Steve’s sister, after all, so she knows all about his life by knowing him personally. I really hope this museum is a success. It would be a great tribute to a person who completely changed the computing landscape.
So, pretty much anyone who buys the house will never be able to renovate the garage? Is that how this silliness would work? Somehow I think Steve Jobs would think the whole thing was stupid, he was never a fan of preserving the past and not progressing into the future.
No, but they would have significant restrictions on how they could renovate it.
I agree with you. This is just a house. It’s not like it’s 500 years old. Just look at SJ’s fight to tear down the old, dilapidated house he owned to build something new and how much trouble that was due to its historical “significance”.
That’s how historic preservation works. For example, Walt Disney’s childhood home in Chicago can’t be put on the Illinois board of historic preservation, because the house has been remodeled way too many times over the years. Not only that, but the current owner reportedly hates tourists, so it will not be on the registry in the foreseeable future.
I doubt his sister plans to sell the house, and if she did there are plenty of wealthy SJ fans that would buy it and keep it as is. Woz comes to mind. The same way Hewlett and Packards places have been maintained. In particuler the garage is of interest, that is where the Steves started their business.
so marilyn came aterward via marriage and probably inherited a lot. reminds me of my cousins side of the family. the mother hated her son’s new wife. they all died at some point and now this woman inherited everything and the son’s kids from first marriage cant get their hands on anything.
Ironic that this pedestrian suburban house would get preserved after Steve Jobs had the Jackling House demolished shortly before he died.
Preserving a house would just keep the way it looked; but not tell you anything about the larger world Steve Jobs lived in, that inspired him to create Apple, and the visions he had which are still being realized today.
Dismantle the garage and reassemble it as a display at the Computer History Museum, like Julia Child’s kitchen at the Smithsonian.
Hum.