R.G. Willis erected the Willis Hotel on this site in 1863, and it burned in the fire of 1865. It was rebuilt in 1866 and operated by Willis until 1869. The hotel was the social center of Marilla and was known for its third-floor ballroom. John Ktaft owned the building from 1921 until 1925, when it was sold to Howard Phillips. Phillips converted the hotel to a feed mill. The business closed in 1953, and the building was torn down in 1987.