NEO-TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD
Cherry Hill Village is Michigan’s first neo-traditional neighborhood.
Cherry Hill Village and the adjoining Uptown neighborhood is home to over 500 households as well as businesses and a Performing Arts Center. A system of pedestrian-friendly streets and miles of sidewalks and pathways connect the entire community.
Cherry Hill Village was planned and developed on principles of “Traditional Neighborhood Development” or “New Urbanism.” One of the hallmarks of traditional neighborhood communities is the variety of home styles (in a variety of colors!) that create a diverse and interesting “streetscape,” conveying a sense of space much larger than any one individual house.
And because most garage entrances are located at the rear or sides of the homes, most homes have a front porch, inviting and enhancing the feeling of small-town America. Some even have white picket fences.
Cherry Hill Village was established around the last remaining historical hamlet in Canton, Michigan. It has a rich history as one of Henry Ford’s village industries and boasts the oldest church and cemetery in the township and a nineteenth century schoolhouse in the village square.
The village itself is a mix of single family and multi-family residences that enjoy all the amenities of a small town. Every house sits close to the street and all feature a front porch. While there are streets, the village is very pedestrian oriented. The streets are narrower than most and on-street parking tends to keep speed limits low.
Another key feature of Cherry Hill Village is the number of parks around the neighborhood. There are four main parks that vary in size and use. A place to see kites flying, baseball, soccer games, and kids playing.
As you can imagine, Cherry Hill Village is no accident. A great deal of planning and thought (by a lot of people!) went into making Cherry Hill Village what it is today. Every new home is reviewed and approved prior to construction by the Village Architect to ensure that the style and appearance are compatible with the vision for Cherry Hill Village.
Diverse homes
Because the homes in Cherry Hill Village are as unique as the people that choose to live here, each builder developed a diverse portfolio of historically-inspired homes. Rather than cookie-cutter homes, our residences vary in size and type. Home range from modest townhouses up to 7500 square foot estate home. We have neighbors from every walk of life. Read more about each type of home, large and small, you can walk past in the Village.
Estate Homes
- Largest lot — 75-80 feet wide, 120+feet deep (typical)
- Multiple outdoor living spaces
- Side entry, set back or rear motor court yard entry to garage
- One ancillary dwelling unit (“mother-in-law” apartment) not to exceed 1,000 sq.ft. may be built on property
- Some stand on wooded lots
Village Homes
- Large lot — 55-65 feet wide, 120 feet deep (typical)
- Side entry, set back or rear lane entry to garage
- One ancillary dwelling unit (“mother-in-law” apartment) not to exceed 1,000 sq.ft. may be built on property
Cottage Homes
- Smaller lots — 40-45 feet wide, 100-120 feet deep
- Rear lane garage entry (per plan)
- One ancillary dwelling unit (“mother-in-law” apartment) not to exceed 1,000 sq.ft. may be built on property
Condominums
- First or second level living
- All exterior lawn care and snow removal provided
- Every home has an attached garage
- Rear lane garage entry (per plan)
History
The area we now call Cherry Hill has been central to this area’s development for generations. Long before the Europeans arrived, the Potawatomie Indians created a trail along a ridge that was the shoreline of an ancient lake. That route, called the Potawatomie Trail; it is now known as Ridge Road. The shoreline was the edge of where Lake Whittelsey used to reach.
By the early 1820s, European settlers came to the Cherry Hill area, establishing one of their first settlements in Canton Township. By 1834, they had had established Cherry Hill with their basic community institutions: a church, a cemetery and a school.
The Cherry Hill Inn was constructed at the intersection of Cherry Hill and Ridge Roads in 1860, becoming the most recent addition to the small, bustling town, which included a creamery and general store. Cherry Hill became the center of commerce and social events for the surrounding area.
Henry Ford took note of Cherry Hill in 1942, establishing the area as one of his company’s “village industries”, and later providing funds and other resources that allowed the expansion of Cherry Hill’s schoolhouse and hiring a second teacher. For more history of Cherry Hill Village and Canton, please visit the Canton Historical Society’s website.
