Security Guard in Trousdale Estates, CA

The grounds originally belonged to Mrs. Lucy Smith Doheny Battson, wife of Edward L. Doheny, Jr. (1893-1929), son of oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny (1856-1935); were known as the Doheny Ranch or the Doheny Estate; and included the Greystone Mansion, which is now a United States Historical Site. In 1954, Paul Trousdale (1915-1990) purchased the grounds, while the mansion was purchased by industrialist Henry Crown (1896-1990). Shortly after, Trousdale convinced the Beverly Hills City Council to add the neighborhood to the city, which they accepted, and he renamed it the Trousdale Estates.

Trousdale first built 532 original lots, all subject to strict regulations devised by the Architectural Committee, including how high roofs could be. Early houses were designed by renowned architects Wallace Neff (1895-1982), Paul R. Williams (1894-1980), A. Quincy Jones (1913-1979), Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) and Harold Levitt (1922-2003). Allen Siple (1900-1973) acted as the supervising architect.

By 1981, some houses were remodeled, blocking their neighbors’ views. As a result, after some consultation in 1987 the Trousdale Estates Homeowners Association, a non-profit organization, and the City of Beverly Hills implemented the Trousdale Ordinance to preserve the neighborhood. There are also “view protections” that protect a resident’s view from neighboring trees, outlined in the Trousdale Ordinance. The City of Beverly Hills now enforces these building codes and view protections.