Cherry Hill, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Cherry Hill Historic District
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The Italianate Cherry Hill House, Corner of Ridge and Cherry Hill
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | Cherry Hill and Ridge Rds., Canton Township, Michigan |
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| Area | 17 acres (6.9 ha) |
| Built | 1865 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival, Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 03000176 |
| Added to NRHP | April 02, 2003 |
Cherry Hill is a small, historic community in Wayne County, Michigan. It's not a city or town with official borders, but it's a special place within Canton Township. The Cherry Hill Historic District is a neighborhood here that has many old and important buildings. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 because of its rich history.
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Discovering Cherry Hill's Past
Cherry Hill was first settled way back in 1825. It started as a small crossroads village in Canton Township. The area was first called "Ridge" because it sat on a high ridge. This ridge was actually the shore of a very old lake!
The first church in the area, the Cherry Hill United Methodist Church, was built in 1834. Around 1865, a man named Abner Hitchcock built an inn. He called it the "Cherry Hill House" because of all the wild cherry trees nearby. Soon after, the whole town changed its name to Cherry Hill. Hitchcock's inn became a general store and a dance hall. It was a very important social spot for many years.
Henry Ford's Connection
Later, a creamery operated in Cherry Hill. This creamery was eventually bought by Henry Ford. He used it as part of his "village industry" program. This program created small factories in rural areas. The Cherry Hill location was unique. It helped provide jobs for World War II veterans. These veterans had physical or mental challenges from their time serving in the war.
Cherry Hill is special because it's the last of five old villages in Canton Township to still have so much history. It remained a busy center for shopping and community life until the 1960s.
Cherry Hill's Modern Growth
In 2000, a new neighborhood called Cherry Hill Village began to be built. This development added over 750 homes. It also included parks and a town center with a community theater. The new buildings were designed to look like traditional small-town architecture. This helped create a classic, small-town feeling.
Exploring the Historic District
The Cherry Hill Historic District includes many important buildings. These buildings are located near the intersection of Cherry Hill and Ridge Roads.
Some of the key historic buildings you can find here include:
- The Cherry Hill House: This is the only building in the township built in the Italianate style.
- The Cherry Hill United Methodist Church: This church is built in the Gothic Revival style. It also has an old cemetery next to it.
- The Cherry Hill School: This historic schoolhouse was built in 1876.
- The Thomas and Maria Blackman Bartlett House and the Thomas and Isabella Moore Clyde House: These are other historic homes in the area.
- Buildings from Henry Ford's Village Industry projects.
- Other old farmhouses and their barns.
Images for kids
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Cherry Hill School
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Cherry Hill United Methodist Church
