In 1991, the co-founder of Intel, Gordon Moore, along with his wife Betty, acquired a historic property in Woodside, California, which spans 24 acres, for $6 million. Surrounded by redwoods, meadows, gardens, and natural springs, the property, Mountain Meadow, already had the reputation of being one of the best-known estates in the vicinity, until the Moores treated it as more than a private residence for the next three decades. They restored its historic buildings while preserving the landscape that made this estate famous.
Thirty years later, that same commitment to preserve the estate extended beyond their ownership of it as just a residence. Instead of preparing the land for development, the estate placed it under a legal conservation easement that prevented development and subdivision while protecting its historical and natural features, including its redwood groves, gardens, and open meadows. According to The Almanac publication, the easement permanently limits large-scale development while allowing the historic estate to continue as a private residence.
