Wynn-Price House

The Wynn-Price House is a historic Greek Revival–style home in Garland (Miller County). It is considered one of the best surviving examples of antebellum plantation homes in the state.

William Wynn moved to the Red River area of the Arkansas Territory around 1835. Wynn eventually owned thousands of acres of land on both sides of the Red River, as well as almost 100 slaves. It appears that at least some of this land was purchased for speculation. Garland was at the proposed crossing of the Red River by the Mississippi, Ouachita, and Red River Railroad, which was never constructed, and Wynn placed the house along the major road of the day.

The house was constructed circa 1844. The house is wood framed on a brick foundation and faces south. The central portion of the house has a gable roof and a two-story portico with columns. Two single-story sections extend to the east and west of the central portion, connecting two additional single-story structures that are parallel to the central portion. The layout of the house gives it a modified “E” shape. The central and western section each have one chimney on the rear, and the eastern section has an interior chimney. A balcony is accessible from the second story in the central portion. The door to the balcony features half-sidelights with decorative wood panels.

The interior of the house includes wood-paneled pocket doors at the entrance to the parlor in the central portion of the house. A number of sash windows are placed throughout the house, with varying numbers of panes. Windows in the west connecting section contain louvers. The lintels above the doors are notable for the soffits identical to those found at the Parthenon.

Wynn died in 1853, and his property was split between his children. His son Robert received the house and the land on the west bank of the Red River, while his daughter Martha Wynn Worsham received the land on the east bank. A widow, Martha had returned to Arkansas with her three children. The house received an addition around 1860 when an out building used as the kitchen was moved and added to the rear of the eastern connector. Robert Wynn died in 1870, followed by his wife, Sarah Kinsworthy Wynn, the next year. The couple had two daughters, and the daughters’ uncle, R. H. Kinsworthy, hired a manager to operate the farm.

Both daughters died without heirs, and the farm contract was bought out by E. W. Frost around 1880. The farm was renamed Plantation Pearl Farm, and Harry Price was hired to manage it in 1915. After Frost’s death in 1926, his family lost the farm due to back taxes. Price continued to manage the farm, which was bought by the Bonham family in 1930. Demi Bonham, daughter of the new owners, married Earl Price, the son of Harry Price. The couple was given the farm and house as a wedding gift, adding their name to the home. The house was donated to the Pioneer Washington Restoration Foundation in 1991 but was determined to be too large to move to Washington (Hempstead County). The foundation sold the house in 1992 to private owners, who sold the house again in 2011. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 23, 1992. As of 2019, the house is privately owned.

For additional information:
Story, Kenneth. “Wynn-Price House.” National Register of Historic Places nomination form. December 3, 1991. On file at Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Little Rock, Arkansas. Online at http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/National-Register-Listings/PDF/MI0009.nr.pdf (accessed July 25, 2019).

David Sesser
Henderson State University