Believe it or not, this imposing building was the Los Angeles Orphan Asylum. It was built in 1890 by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in Boyle Heights on what is now known as Whittier Blvd. where it gave LA’s orphans a home until the late 1950s. I guess the nuns must have had some pull because the architectural firm who designed this gorgeous building also designed the Los Angeles County Courthouse, which is another of LA’s great losses.