Shield's, Edwin M., House
Also known as: William Johnston House; Shield's Crossing
Why it's listed
Shield's Crossing is a group of seven buildings on Riverside Avenue in Loveland, Ohio, facing the Little Miami River. Built around 1868 by local carpenter Henry Crooks, it includes an L-shaped two-story frame house and six late nineteenth-century outbuildings: a Gothic octagonal gazebo, ice house, smoke house, stable, wood shed and carriage house. The house keeps its original woodwork, ceiling decoration and most major interior walls, though aluminum siding now covers the original lap siding. The property reflects the move of Cincinnati businessmen to Loveland after the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad was completed in 1866. Edwin M. Shield, founder of the Fulton Foundry and an early backer of the Mt. Adams Inclined Plane Railroad, lived here from 1868 to 1879. William Johnston, a lawyer and legislator, later made it his retirement home. The house became a restaurant in 1979, and the intact outbuildings are the feature that sets it apart from other local examples.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the complex is a cohesive, largely unaltered group of nineteenth-century suburban architecture. It is also an early example of suburban migration after the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad opened in 1866. It is tied to industrialist Edwin M. Shield and to lawyer and political figure William Johnston.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 82003592, listed April 1, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 220 Riverside Ave., Loveland |
|---|---|
| County | Hamilton County |
| Listed | April 1, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003592 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Henry Crooks, Builder |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Converted to a restaurant in 1979 with minimal exterior and interior changes; condition listed as excellent. The stable is used for storage and is not well maintained. |
| Acreage | 2.7 |
| Coordinates | 39.26687, -84.26216 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 82003592.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7496149
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.