The John Steele House, historically known as "Lombardy," is of exceptional national and state significance for its close association with John Steele (1764?1815), one of North Carolina's most prominent early political figures. Steele served as a member of the North Carolina House of Commons, a delegate to the state convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution, and a member of the First and Second U.S. Congresses. Most notably, President George Washington appointed Steele as the Comptroller of the United States Treasury in 1796, a critical administrative post he held through the administrations of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Constructed circa 1799?1801 as the centerpiece of his plantation on the outskirts of Salisbury, the home served as Steele's primary residence during his years of greatest political influence and until his death, symbolizing the wealth and status of one of the early republic's key financial architects.

Architecturally, the John Steele House is a highly significant and remarkably well-preserved example of Federal-style residential architecture in the North Carolina Piedmont. The two-story, timber-framed dwelling features a side-hall plan, robust brick end chimneys, and a refined classical entry portico. Inside, the house retains a wealth of its original, high-quality Federal-style woodwork, including elaborate mantels, molded wainscoting, and a handsome dog-leg staircase, showcasing the transition of high-style coastal architectural trends into the state's western backcountry. As one of the oldest surviving frame residences in Salisbury, the property stands as a premier material record of the region's late-18th and early-19th-century elite domestic life.