I visited the garage where Hewlett and Packard created HP 85 years ago. Silicon Valley was born here

A visit to the iconic Hewlett-Packard garage in Palo Alto is like traveling back in time to the birth of Silicon Valley. Approaching 367 Addison Avenue, I found a house that seems even modest in the environment in which it is locateda street where homes sell for between $2 million and $8 million.

It’s hard to imagine that here, in a modest wooden house painted green, one of the most influential technology companies of the 20th century began. However, upon entering, history comes to life.

The first thing you notice is the attention to detail in the restoration. The house has been painstakingly recreated to reflect what it looked like in 1938, when two friends, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, moved in to start their business.

The curtains, for example, are surprising: they are not reproductions, but are made from the same original fabric that was used ninety years ago. This level of authenticity is maintained throughout the home.

In the living room I stop in front of the fireplace, where HP’s first product at the show: a 200 A audio generator. It is a relatively simple engineering design, but innovative for its time. An HP representative explained to me that Hewlett and Packard put it on the mantel for Christmas simply because they were proud of their creation.

The dining room has a peculiar history. Here Dave slept with his wife Lucille on a Murphy bed, which was hidden in the wall during the day. The dining table was moved aside every evening to make way for the bed.

Looking at this crib, it saddens me to think of Dave, who was 1.96 meters tall, sleeping on this bed, surely intended for people of much smaller height. It’s the little details that humanize these technology pioneers: before building their empire, they started with very modest resources.

In one corner sits an antique typewriter, a reminder of the roles Lucile Packard and Flora Lamson Hewlett played in the company’s early days. They were responsible for all correspondence, marketing and accounting.

The kitchen is another highlight of the tour. The Wedgewood oven is identical to the one used by Hewlett and Packard, and its history also has significance in the company’s history: This is where they baked the paint for their oscillators..

Lucile Packard noted that nothing cooked in that oven ever tasted the same again. And we believe that with today’s remote work, the line between work and personal life is blurring. Paint and oven are on another level.

Kitchen wallpaper is another example of painstaking restoration. During the renovation, a fragment of the original tapestry was discovered and a specialist was hired to recreate the exact pattern throughout the kitchen. These small details make the gaming experience more immersive and authentic.

And we come to the very center of this visit: the garage. Entering this space measuring almost four by five meters, it is impressive to think about what has been achieved here.

Taking pride of place is the drill press that Dave Packard carried in the back seat of his car. Around the tools and equipment of those times, accurately recreates the Hewlett and Packard work environment. It seems that everything is the same as it was left that day.

An old photograph shows the two founders working in the same space. In another photo, Harvey Sieber, HP’s first employee, wears a welding helmet.

The collection of oscillators in the garage is impressive. I see models from the original 200A to later versions such as 200Bknown as the “Disney Oscillator” because it was modified specifically for Walt Disney Studios for use in film production of the time. In fact, the director was his first client.

It’s amazing to see the evolution of a product and how a simple improvement – adding a light bulb as a setting indicator – can significantly increase its usefulness and commercial appeal.

One detail that caught my attention was that the first model was called 200A rather than 100A to give the impression that the company already had experience in the market. Marketing is for magicians.

There is amateur radio equipment in the back of the garage. The guide explains that Bill Hewlett was a radio amateur and that during renovations a cable was discovered coming out of the garage. This was an original Hewlett antenna.

These details make you think about HP’s heritage. This company not only produced innovative technologies, but also introduced a unique corporate culture. The employee clubs they mention, from a women’s bowling league to an amateur radio club, speak of a work environment that fostered camaraderie and personal interests beyond the natural business of the company.

HP did not own the house until October 2000. then-CEO Carly Fiorina, who was instrumental in its purchase and restoration.. A symbol of a company that lost some connection with its roots, and then regained them with interest.

Walking out of the garage, I realize the scale of what happened here. In this space, two college friends with $538 in their pockets started a company that would change the world. Is the epitome of the garage startup myth that has inspired generations of entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. and much more.

It also makes me think about how the technology landscape has changed. Today’s startups require much larger initial investments and face a much more competitive market. Romantic idea: two friends create a new big technology company in a garage seems unattainable today. These are different times.

And I also think about what Hewlett and Packard would say if today they could see how these audio generators evolved until they reached the smartphones and computers we have today. Let’s not even talk about AI.

This then-modest garage marked the birth of Hewlett-Packard, but it also became the spark that ignited the technology revolution in Silicon Valley. This has been recognized by the State of California and is evidenced by a plaque above the street level entrance. Silicon Valley was born here.

HP Garage a monument to the past and a source of inspiration for the future, a journey back in time and a look at the environment of those who advanced what remains the world’s epicenter of technology.

And it all started in this garage.

Featured Image | Hataka

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