In 1885, Los Angeles's first mechanical railway began operation and the Los Angeles Improvement Company began developing Crown Hill, Los Angeles's first streetcar suburb.

The hills and dales were soon dotted with the Victorian, Queen Anne, and Neo-Classical houses and mansions with their gingerbread machined woodwork and elaborate stained and etched glass windows. Cable cars and then electric trolleys moved people from the City of Los Angeles out to the fashionable edge.

Within the Crown Hill neighborhood is Belmont Square, comprised of thirty-nine parcels, each containing a duplex and a garden area. They are a combination of aminimal art deco style, along with details of doors, windows, and trimmings that reflect the American Craftsman vernacular.

Crown Hill is located in the Westlake District adjacent to City West. The boundaries are S Union Ave on the west, Beverly Blvd to the north, 3rd St on the south and the 100 freeway to the east.