APRIL 16 ISSUE ANSWERS: This new series will alternate between discussions of the various buildings in the Romeo business district for a month followed by a view of the artifacts in each of the three Romeo Historical Society museums for two months. This rotation will probably consume a year. The arrow in the above photo points to the current location of the Masonic Temple, originally known as the Gray’s Opera House. This bird’s eye view published in 1868 shows a house where the Masonic Temple now stands. This house was most likely a small Greek Revival or Gothic Revival home built between 1840 to 1850. The Romeo Historical Society has no information about the house. In 1869, when the opera house was constructed the house had to be razed. Was it moved? Hugh, Noah and James Gray financed the new opera house which was designed by Oscar S. Buel. The three story opera house had three separate stores on the first floor. These would provide needed cash flow to support the activity of the opera house. Entrance to the second floor was right off the sidewalk leading to a stairway up. The stairway was been altered so that one must enter the far right store to access the stairs to the second floor. The north side of the building contained an office on the second floor and a domed ceiling ballroom on the third floor. The south two-thirds of the second floor held the opera house and stage. A balcony surrounded the second floor with seating overlooking the opera house stage area. Over the years many dances, plays, science fairs, speeches and graduations were held in the opera house. It is currently owned and used for the local Masonic activities. R. Beringer Romeo Historical Society curator