Walter and Eclecta Thompson constructed the original Opera House building in Butler in 1903, and its grand opening on November 26, 1903, featured a military band with a full orchestra performing "In Sunny Tennessee." The first floor was rented for various commercial uses and became the post office in 1930, while the second and third floors included a stage and balcony where plays, skits, concerts, lectures, high school graduations, and basketball games were held. Walter Thompson died in May 1904, shortly after the Opera House opened, and his son Jay became acting manager until he moved away from Butler before 1910. In 1912, William Mutzfeld and Sons built the adjacent Mutzfeld Building to the south of the Thompson Block and opened a harness and hardware shop there. The Mutzfelds redesigned the interior to add doors between the two structures so they could function as one, and the remodeled property became known as the Thompson Block Building. John Nugen Furniture and Interiors purchased the building in 1970 and operated a furniture store there for 10 years until closing in 1980. In 2000, the Eastside Area Community Foundation accepted ownership, and on October 31, 2001, the structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places along with all of downtown Butler. The Eastside Community Foundation and the City of Butler then raised funds for renovation, and in 2012 the City of Butler moved its municipal offices into the building, where they remain.