Built in 1878 by local lumber seller Charles Millett on one of his lots, the house was one of the largest performance spaces in Texas upon its completion.

It featured 800 removable seats, 24-inch limestone walls, and the largest enclosed space in Texas.

[2] The Opera House was designed by Frederick Ruffini, an architect working throughout Texas.

In the 1950s, it was threatened with demolition, but preserved by a local group of concerned people.

The Austin Club renovated the building and divided it into three stories, removing the performance space, but a portion of the original hand-painted ceiling is still installed in one of the meeting rooms.