Original workshop of Bill Hewlett and David Packard recognised by US National Park Service.

Often considered to be the birthplace of Silicon Valley, the garage and house in which the two famed men created the Hewlett-Packard company has been listed as a place of significant by the US National Park Service.

The site at 367 Addison Avenue in Palo Alto, California was the home of the company until 1940, when it outgrew it and began its first expansion plans.

California recognised the site as the birthplace of Silicon Valley by claiming it a registered landmark in 1987.

The company refurbish and renovated the property in 2005, bringing it back to its former glory.

“The HP Garage has become a symbol of what can rise from humble beginnings with hard work and determination,” said Gary Elliott, vice president, Brand Management and Design, HP. “It’s an honour to be recognized by the National Park Service and we hope it will further spread these core HP values to a national audience.”

The house was originally built by physician Dr. John Spencer in 1905 and divided into two apartments at the end of the First World War. By 1924, a garage had been added.

By 1937, both Bill Hewlett and David Packard had graduated from Stanford University and had begun meeting to discuss possible business ventures. Packard at this time was working for General Electric in New York but was keen to move back to Palo Alto. Hewlett was charged with finding a flat for the recently married Packard and his wife and found 367 Addison Avenue.

Work began in the garage in 1938 with the new company – Hewlett-Packard – formed in 1939.

The two men spent two years at the address before growing to large to continue business, moving to 481 Page Mill Rd. One of the first successful products made by the new company was an audio oscillator, sold to Walt Disney and used in the making of the motion picture Fantasia.

It wasn’t until 1984 that HP first pursued plans to have the garage protected. In 1985, it was named a city landmark by the Palo Alto Historic Resources Board and granted state landmark status by the California state government on August 7, 1987.

Hewlett-Packard purchased the property in 2000 and began plans for its restoration, completed in 2005.