History & local legend
Newington, also known as the David Shields House, was home to generations of the Shields family in Edgeworth. David and Eliza Shields built its first brick portion in 1816 and enlarged it in 1823. By 2006, the estate had passed through seven generations of the extended family.
A ghost-story collection preserved in 2004 described a family gathering apparently continuing inside. Witnesses entered the living room to find people sitting on the sofa in conversation. The group looked up, stopped talking and stared at the newcomers.
The collection identified them as members of the Shields family and separately mentioned a figure called Captain Shields in the front room to the right of the entrance.
Sources
- Para Investigator, Haunted Sites of Pennsylvania, Shields House entry preserved November 2004
- Patricia Lowry, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 17, 2006, Newington garden and seven generations of owners
- Lowry, continuation, page C8, the 1816 house and 1823 addition
- Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, Newington and the Shields family