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City Council Considering Steve Jobs’ Woodside Mansion, Again

Date:May 1, 2009 | Author:Diane Tuman | Category:Celebrity Real Estate

Earlier this week, a California city council was once again considering a decision over the Jackling House, what some consider a property with historic significance that preservationists have rallied ’round while the home’s owner wants it torn down. The owner of the Jackling House? Steve Jobs, Apple founder and CEO.

The Jackling House is a 17,000+ sq ft mansion located at 460 Mountain Home Rd, Woodside, CA. It was designed in 1926 by architect George Washington Smith for Daniel C. Jackling, a millionaire who made his fortune in the copper refining process. Jackling was a regular in the San Francisco society pages and a collector of art. He lived in the house until his death in 1956.

Jobs purchased the Jackling House in 1984, and lived in it for about 10 years before renting it out. For the past decade, the home has been vacant and has fallen into disrepair and severe neglect (see these fascinating and eerie photos of the inside of the house). Jobs applied for a permit to demolish the property in February 2001, with the intent to build a new single-family home; however, the preservationists won that showdown, which went all the way to the California Supreme Court.

Arguments were heard by the council from both sides late into the night on Tuesday and no decision was reached. A final decision is expected at the next Woodside Town Council meeting, which is set for May 12. Stay tuned.

Read Jobs’ updated petition to demolish the house.

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Responses (10)

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Eric Bouler 9:20 PM - May 1,2009

Move to New Orleans and you can build almost anywhere. We need people that can create jobs.

Sometimes people will try to stop progress as they have not much else to do.
Chielmar 4:01 PM - May 2,2009

Yes, Eric Bouler’s right.. As we of now lots of people you can’t stop gets insecured especially you have talents and skills to do.
MIchael 5:27 AM - May 4,2009

if his going to build something great like a castle let him do it, if his plans are to build a simple house, dont let him, I think is better for the community when a billionaire builds great things or monuments….. is not about stoping progress is about maintaining values, please see the penn station history in NY, it was one of the most beautiful buildings in the country and for the same reason “stoping progress” it was demolish and the current building is not even the shadow of the old one. it’s a shame… if New Orleans fails to build his own type of architecture and maintain their original ambiance sooner or later the tourist wont have a reason to go, the europeans know this, that why their always building new monuments besides the old ones and that is the reason france is the no. 1 tourist destination in the world
sam 7:25 AM - May 4,2009

This is BS. It’s his property and he should be able to do whatever he pleases. Otherwise, the Friends of the Jackling
House should pay him whatever he desires for the property.
It’s probably going to cost him twice as much to renovate. Unless it was disclosed to him when he purchased the house that he won’t be able to demolish it, no one should have a case on it.
Tom 10:36 AM - May 4,2009

I can not even believe that people think they have the right to decide what someone else should do with their own bought and paid for property. I truly hope that lightening strikes the home and it burns to the ground saving that poor man the grevie that some people have unjustly caused him.
Tom 10:55 AM - May 4,2009

Think how absurd this is, someone once lived in a house that is privately owned and now people who are in no way legally attached to it have the mind set that they, not the owner of this property should determine what the owner should do with it. Am I still living in the USA or did we suddenly become the United States Of socialist America ? It gets scarier by the day. Maybe these people who have been self appointed to take charge of other peoples private property are going to pay the taxes and upkeep of the home as well. And while they are at it will they want to decide on any future color changes, landscape design or interior changes.Because if I were Steve Jobs I would have radically changed the interior by now To suit my own wishes. FREEDOM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tom 11:10 AM - May 4,2009

I love the comments that some people make about the house, that it ” transcends ” beyond the owner of the house LOL, NO it is just a house that will vanish someday just like everything else. And it is his home and his money to do with it as he pleases. God bless America ! He earned it, and it is his to do with it, as he wishes. The other jealous people should try to do the same instead of trying to tell other people what to do with their success. I bet if the shoe was on the other foot those nut jobs would be singing another tune.
Tom 11:28 AM - May 4,2009

O yes I almost forgot, All of those people who want a say in Steve Jobs privately owned property please send me your home address. So that in the future before you decide to make any changes to your privately owned property I can decide whether or not you should be allowed to make those changes. Even if the local laws allow the changes. I still want to decide if you should or not. And I do not care if you paid for your property and everything that goes along with the expenses of owning a home, I still want the Power to decide what to do to your property. Then and only then will you not be able to be called a HYPOCRITE ! As I am calling all of you now; Thank You I will be looking forward to those address LOL !
Terrence Askew 9:22 AM - May 5,2009

Only in America can someone else dictate what you do with your property. Steve, I hope you build a 40,000 sq ft monster and then tell them to put that in there pipes and smoke it!
New Orleans Real Estate 1:46 PM - Nov 10,2010

Enjoyable read.