Initially the move of the printing press from Rochester, NY to Battle Creek was seen as God's providence.¹⁾

With time, as Battle Creek grew more congested and Adventists settled more densely there, God indicated clearly that the publishing house should leave Battle Creek. According to census records, the population was around 2000 people in the 1850s, and rapidly growing.²⁾. By the middle of the first decade of 1900, the population had grown to over 20,000 people.³⁾

At a time when the Review and Herald Publishing House had already been in existence for 46 years, and at a time when only a little over one year before a disastrous fire burned the main factory building in Battle Creek (December 1902), Ellen White said to the Review and Herald Board: “God’s design in the establishment of the publishing house at Battle Creek was that from it light should shine forth as a lamp that burneth. This has been kept before the managers. Again and again they have been told of the sacredness of God’s office of publication and of the importance of maintaining its purity. But they have lost true understanding and have united with the force of the enemy by consenting to print papers and books containing the most dangerous errors that can be brought into existence. They have failed to see the evil influences of such erroneous sentiments on typesetters, proofreaders, and all others engaged in the printing of such matter. They have been spiritually asleep.”—Testimonies for the Church 8:90 (Nov. 1, 1901).“ (POSDAI 56.2).

Could it be that living in the city influenced their spirituality? God eventually directed Ellen White to counsel the church to move the printing press away from Battle Creek.

May the Lord help us to move understandingly and prayerfully. I am sure that He is willing that we should know, and that right early, where we should locate our publishing house. I am satisfied that our only safe course is to be ready to move just when the cloud moves. Let us pray that He will direct us. He has signified, by His providence, that He would have us leave Battle Creek…. (LS 390.5).

In 1902, the Review and Herald publishing house in Battle Creek was destroyed by fire.

Today I received your letter in regard to the destruction of the Review and Herald Office. I had already received news of the disaster from Brother C. H. Jones, who wrote to me in regard to the telegram that you sent. I am afflicted with all who are afflicted. I know that this must be a very trying time for the brethren in charge of the work and for the employees of the office. I feel very sad as I consider the loss to the cause. But I expected to hear the news even before now. In my diary I had written out the description of a scene that had been presented to me, in which I saw an angel standing with a sword as of fire stretched over Battle Creek.
This morning I was drawn out in earnest prayer that the Lord would lead all who are connected with the Review and Herald office to make diligent search, that they may see wherein they have disregarded the many messages God has given.
Some time ago you wrote to me in regard to putting an addition to the Review and Herald on a piece of land from which an old building had been removed. At the time I wrote you regarding the inconsistency of erecting more buildings in Battle Creek. I had no courage to send this letter, knowing that it would have no greater weight than other testimonies that have been sent. I did send one letter then. I will find the one I did not send and let you have it. In it I said that if those who were in favor of adding another building to the Review and Herald had the future mapped out before them, if they could see what would be in Battle Creek, they would have no question in regard to putting up another building there. God said, “My word has been despised; and I will turn and overturn.” (18LtMs, Lt 5, 1903, par. 1).

What was one of the biggest reasons God allowed this publishing house to be burned?

The Lord permitted fire to consume the principal buildings of the Review and Herald and the sanitarium, and thus removed the greatest objection urged against moving out of Battle Creek. It was His design that instead of rebuilding the one large sanitarium, our people should make plants in several places. These smaller sanitariums should have been established where land could be secured for agricultural purposes. It is God's plan that agriculture shall be connected with the work of our sanitariums and schools. Our youth need the education to be gained from this line of work. It is well, and more than well,—it is essential,—that efforts be made to carry out the Lord's plan in this respect.—Testimonies for the Church 8:227, 228 (1903). (CH 223.2).

The Lord has opened this matter to me decidedly. The publishing work that has been carried on in Battle Creek should for the present be carried on near Washington. If after a time the Lord says, Move away from Washington, we are to move.—The Review and Herald, August 11, 1903. (LDE 105.1).

The church purchased approximately five acres (2 hectares) of land in Takoma Park⁴⁾ within the limits of Washington DC so that the imprint of Washington DC would appear on the literature, but far enough out (5 or 6 miles) to be in the country. A. G. Daniels wrote about this new purchase:

One of the finest places we have found was a place called Takoma Park. It is on the main line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad running to Chicago and St. Louis. It is also reached by an electric line. It is five or six miles (eight or ten kilometers) from the city. It is … a large wooded tract of land, lying on each side of the District line, part in the District and part in Maryland. It has an elevation of three hundred feet above the Potomac. It is a magnificent place. We could purchase all the land we required at a very reasonable rate (AGD to WCW, June 21, 1903).⁵⁾

A larger plot of land (about 50 acres or 20 hectacres) were purchased nearby (within about a mile) for the sanitarium and school.⁶⁾

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 40,000.⁷⁾

God later directed that the press move out of the city. Thus, after about a quarter of a century in Oakland, the press moved to Mountain View, 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 (61km) 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, 492.⁸⁾

The Pacific Union Recorder for June 23, 1904 reported that the town of Mountain View had a population of only about 800 people. The piece of land purchased was about 5 acres (2 hectares). Although in a rural location, there was easy access to the railroad.⁹⁾ The 5 acres were apparently expanded to 15 acres by purchasing additional adjoining land.¹⁰⁾

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 million¹¹⁾, 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 30,000.¹²⁾

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.”¹³⁾

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.