Old North St. Louis is a neighborhood just north and slightly west of the downtown area of St. Louis, Missouri. Known for the landmark Crown Candy Kitchen, historic 19th century brick homes, and its award-winning community gardens, the neighborhood now known as Old North St. Louis was established as the independent village of North St. Louis in 1816 and was annexed by the City of St. Louis in 1841. After many generations as a very densely populated neighborhood, Old North St. Louis experienced several decades of population losses and deterioration of the community's housing stock. Over the past several years, however, the community has started to experience a dramatic revitalization led by the community-based Old North St. Louis Restoration Group, a non-profit organization.