James White wrote the following about he press in Oakland in 1880:

Under the faithful efforts of Elder Loughborough and his associate laborers, a great work has been accomplished on the Pacific Coast. The Pacific S. D. A. Publishing Association owns its buildings and the land upon which they are built, in the very center of the beautiful city of Oakland, Cal., which has a population of 40,000.¹⁾

About 24 years later, the press moved to a more rural location. Ellen White wrote,

Special light has been given me in regard to moving our publishing houses and sanitariums and schools out of the cities into places more favorable for their work, where those connected with them will not be exposed to all the temptations of city life. Especially should our schools be away from the cities. It is not for the spiritual good of the workers in our institutions for them to be located in the cities, where the temptations of the enemy abound on every hand.
The instruction given regarding the removal of the publishing work from Battle Creek to some rural place near Washington, D.C., was clear and distinct, and I earnestly hope that this work may be hastened.
Instruction has also been given that the Pacific Press should be moved from Oakland. [The move to Mountain View, California, thirty-eight miles south of San Francisco, was made in 1904 (see SDAEn 1059.)] As the years have passed by, the city has grown and it is now necessary to establish the printing plant in some more rural place, where land can be secured for the homes of the employees. Those who are connected with our offices of publication should not be obliged to live in the crowded cities. They should have opportunity to obtain homes where they will be able to live without requiring high wages.—Fundamentals of Christian Education, 492.“²⁾.

Of the publishing house in London, Ellen White commented,

It is in harmony with this instruction, that meeting-houses have been purchased and rededicated in Washington and in Nashville, while the publishing houses and the sanitariums at these centers have been established away from the congested heart of the cities, as outpost centers. This is the plan that has been followed in the removal of other publishing houses and sanitariums into the country, and that is now being followed in Great Britain with regard to the London publishing house and also the training school there. [Moved twenty miles from London to Stanborough Park, Watford, Hertfordshire, England, in 1906.] We are now given opportunity to advance in the opening providences of God by helping our brethren in these and many other important centers to establish the work on a firm basis, in order that it may be carried forward solidly.—Selected Messages 2:358.

In 1906, the Adventist church moved the publishing house in London to a piece of land in the country. According to the 1901 and 1911 census of the County of London, the population was about 4.5 million³⁾, and if we include the suburbs, the population was closer to 7 million. About 17.5 miles (28km) northwest by rail was the much smaller town of Watford, population roughly 30,000.⁴⁾

The Adventist Church purchased about 75 acres (30 hectares) of country land about 3 miles (5km) north of Watford on which establish the publishing house. It was surrounded by fields, woods, and farms. Thus, the publishing house could move out of the big city into the country, and yet remain relatively close to the capital.

The committee sent to evaluate the property wrote, “We visited the property about ten days ago. Much had been told us of the natural beauty of Stanborough Park and now we can give no higher praise than to say it exceeded even our anticipation… The acres of wood surround on several sides the cleared portion of the estate, so that a spirit of quietness and restfulness will always pervade the grounds.”⁵⁾

Not only the press, but other institutions were established on the same piece of property.

For more information, read the SDA Encyclopedia article: Stanborough Press.