After William Gillis died on July 18, 1969, he left his entire inheritance of $500,000 (~ $11,000,000 in 2024) to his niece, Mary Ann.

The building was designed by Asa Beebe Cross, and was 4 stories tall.

[2] The opera house opened on September 10, 1883, and mayor James Gibson and senator William Warner gave speeches to commemorate the opening.

[4] The opera house went on a decline from 1890 onward, when the business center of Kansas City was moved down South.

On June 25, 1925, the building was destroyed by a mysterious blast which killed 6 people, plus a firefighter who died on the way to the scene, and injured 31.