Cherry Hill: the 1825 crossroads Canton planned around
Cherry Hill began as a farm-and-travel crossroads in 1825. Canton later used a historic district and design rules to carry its old center into a fast-growing township.
Most of Canton looks like a modern suburb. At Cherry Hill and Ridge roads, though, you can still read the township’s older shape. Canton’s design guide says Cherry Hill was first settled in 1825 as a farming center and a stop for people traveling west. As the community grew, a church, cemetery, school, and houses gathered around the crossroads.
The place kept changing. In the early 1900s, Cherry Hill became an important sweet-corn supplier for Detroit-area markets. It also took part in Henry Ford’s Village Industries program until 1945. The present brick school dates to 1876. Canton later bought the worn building, restored it, and reopened it for community use in 1988.
The Cherry Hill Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. Local planning did another kind of work. As development pressed in, Canton adopted an overlay district and design guidelines for old buildings, additions, and new construction. The stated goal was to preserve the scale and rural crossroads character while allowing the area to grow.
That distinction helps when you visit. The historic district is the old crossroads. The newer Cherry Hill Village neighborhood and Village Theater sit around and beside it. They are connected, but they are not all the same age.
Where to see it
Start at Cherry Hill and Ridge roads, where the old school, church, cemetery, and houses still make a recognizable crossroads. Many buildings are private; the Village Theater is in the newer development nearby.
Sources
Last reviewed against the listed sources: July 16, 2026.