Shields, David, House
Also known as: Newington
Why it's listed
Built in 1816 by David Shields, this brick house in Edgeworth began as a three-bay, two-and-a-half-story section with a center hall and gable-end chimney. Shields and his wife occupied it until 1823, when a larger five-bay, two-and-a-half-story center-hall brick house was joined to it. The main house has Federal details, including flush stone lintels and an entrance with side lights and an elliptical panel, along with a fine filigree cast-iron veranda on the west side. Around 1900 a lunette window was added to the gable facing Beaver Road. Shields was a factor for the Economy Settlement farther down the Ohio River, and the land came from his father-in-law, Daniel Leet, a Revolutionary War major. The grounds, laid out in the English Romantic manner, are regarded as rare for the Pittsburgh area, where estates of this kind were uncommon in the nineteenth century.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a rare surviving example of an estate of its kind in the Pittsburgh area, with a fine filigree cast-iron veranda, Federal-period details, and landscape grounds attributed to Samuel Parsons and a formal garden attributed to Bryant Fleming. It also links the house to David Shields, whose father-in-law Daniel Leet received the land as payment for Revolutionary War service.
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 75001607, listed October 29, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Shields Lane, Edgeworth |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | October 29, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001607 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1816-1823 |
| Architect / builder | David Shields (builder) |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Modernized and thoroughly repaired in 1959; the description states it is in excellent condition. |
| Acreage | 8 |
| Coordinates | 40.55708, -80.19980 (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 75001607.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5239740
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.