It is architecturally important as an early Richardsonian Romanesque building in Dubuque and as a salient work of Chicago architect Willoughby James Edbrooke. It is Edbrooke's only surviving opera house, and he used its design in his design portfolio that won him the position of Supervising Architect of the U.S. Treasury Department in 1891. Its design is said to be "representative of Edbrooke's smooth exterior wall interpretation of the Richardsonian Romanesque style."
This structure is significant for its architectural importance as an early Richardsonian Romanesque building, particularly in Dubuque and as a notable work by Willoughby James Edbrooke. It is his only surviving opera house, and the design was instrumental in securing him the position of Supervising Architect of the U.S. Treasury Department in 1891. The building's style is considered to be representative of Edbrooke's interpretation of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture.