Picture the year 1865. Abner Hitchcock a New York hotelier builds an inn. He names it the Cherry Hill House. Wild cherry trees abound. The village of Ridge changes its name to Cherry Hill. Hitchcock’s inn becomes the social heart of Cherry Hill. It’s a general store and a dance hall. Generations gather there.
Cherry Hill Michigan a crossroads hamlet. It’s in Canton Township Wayne County. The Cherry Hill Historic District is primarily residential. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The area was settled in 1825. It was initially called Ridge. That’s because it sits atop a ridge. The ridge was once the shore of an ancient lake.
The Ypsi Creamery operated in Cherry Hill. Later it becomes the Detroit Creamery then Wilson Dairy. Henry Ford buys the dairy. He uses it for his village industry program. This unique program employed World War II veterans. Many suffered physical or mental disabilities due to their service.
Cherry Hill remains a commercial and social hub until the 1960s. It’s the last of five Canton Township hamlets with substantial historic significance. Then in 2000 a new Cherry Hill Village begins. It includes over 750 houses parks and a community theater. This development aims for a traditional small-town feel.
The Cherry Hill Historic District boasts significant buildings. There’s the Cherry Hill House the only Italianate building in the township. The Gothic Revival Cherry Hill United Methodist Church stands proudly. The associated cemetery is nearby. The Cherry Hill School is another notable structure. The Thomas and Maria Blackman Bartlett House is also present. So is the Thomas and Isabella Moore Clyde House. Other farmhouses and outbuildings add to the historical charm. Explore Cherry Hill. Discover its rich past. Imagine the dances the stories the lives lived within these historic walls.