Otis Theodore and Effiegene Locke Wingo House

The Otis Theodore and Effiegene Locke Wingo House, which was the home of two members of the U.S. House of Representatives, is located in De Queen (Sevier County). Constructed in 1904, the house received extensive modifications over the decades and includes both Queen Anne and Craftsman details. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 1, 2004.

The wood-frame house originally included five bedrooms and was fronted by a porch. At an unknown date but likely in the 1920s, the house received extensive remodeling and an addition. The remodeling included removal of the original porch and the addition of a Craftsman-style porch. At the same time, a half-story extension was added to the rear of the house, and a detached garage was constructed. Later modifications to the home include another addition at the rear of the home, constructed at an unknown date.

The south-facing home is located a few blocks west of downtown De Queen and is clad in weatherboard. A bay projection is located on the southwest corner of the home, with a wraparound porch stretching across the southern and eastern sides. The bay includes three one-over-one windows and one door. The main entrance to the home is located on the southern side of the home and is accessed by concrete steps. The home is accessible from the street by a set of concrete steps and a short sidewalk. At the time of the property’s nomination to the National Register, the sidewalk included an inscription of the name “Otis T. Wingo.” The Craftsman-style porch includes three wood-over-concrete-over-brick square columns.

The east side of the home includes a one-over-one window and a door in the original portion of the structure, with an aluminum window on the side of the rear addition. The rear of the home includes the addition made at the same time as the changes to the porch and the construction of the garage. The west side of the home includes a protruding cross gable room and several windows.

The garage includes some Craftsman details, including exposed rafter tails on the gable roof. The single car structure faces south and is clad in boards.

Otis Wingo moved to De Queen around 1900 and established a law practice in the town. Two years later, the Tennessee native married Effiegene Locke, a native of nearby Lockesburg (Sevier County). Otis Wingo served a term in the Arkansas Senate, from 1907 to 1909. His efforts helped establish what is now the University of Central Arkansas in Conway (Faulkner County). Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1912, he represented the Fourth District until his death in 1930. After he was injured in a car accident in 1926, Otis relied heavily on Effiegene in the last years of his life. Upon his death, she was elected to fulfill the remainder of his term and was elected in her own right to a single term. The couple are buried together in Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington DC.

By 2023, the home had been sold at auction.

For additional information:
Hoofman, Judy. De Queen Centennial History, 1897–1997: A Photographic History of the City of De Queen, Arkansas. Murfreesboro, AR: Looking Glass Media, 1997.

“Otis Theodore and Effiegene Locke Wingo House.” National Register of Historic Places registration form. On file at Arkansas Historic Preservation Office, Little Rock, Arkansas. Online at https://www.arkansasheritage.com/docs/default-source/national-registry/sv0096-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=e13e48c2_0 (accessed November 7, 2023).

David Sesser
Southeastern Louisiana University