It was constructed in the Afro-Brazilian architectural style and was Lagos’s first three-story structure. The renowned nationalist and civil engineer Herbert Macaulay oversaw the construction. It was a massive building with 40 rooms, a rose garden, and a cupola. Numerous dignitaries visiting Lagos were accommodated there.
This opulent home of affluent Oyo Prince and auctioneer Andrew W.U. Thomas (1865–1924), father of well-known lawyer and politician Bode Thomas, was tragically destroyed by fire in the early 1980s.