Canton's undeveloped land and plum location along I-275 drew scores of developers in recent years with some truly unique and innovative visions. One such vision was Cherry Hill Village in Canton, a Traditional Neighborhood Development based on the concept of new urbanism.
Small Town Envy
Cherry Hill Village attempts to map out not only unique housing and subdivision design, but elements of an entire community modeled after a 1930s small town. At the heart of the concept is the village square, which is surrounded by shops and businesses, including a market with an ice cream store. In Cherry Hill’s case, several of the buildings in the center of town actually date back to the original Cherry Hill settlement, a farming hamlet first established as “The Ridge” in 1825.
Historic Air
The original buildings were built in the 1860s and 70s and include a schoolhouse, cemetery, church, several private homes and an Inn, which also served as a general store and dance hall during its long history. They are all registered with the National Register of Historic Places. The Bartlett-Travis House, another historic landmark, was moved into the area, refurbished and put to use as a meeting hall. These existing buildings served as the initial building blocks of the development, lending the commercial buildings, performing arts theater, houses and townhouses that eventually sprung up among and around them an authentic small-town air.
Front Porches and Picket Fences
Whether residents travel by sidewalk, bike path or through one of the several planned parks, none of the 1,200, multi-colored homes are more than a five-to-ten minute stroll from the village square. The homes range from 7,500-square-foot estate homes to townhouses, and they are all built close to the street with front porches to enhance the sense of community. Some even have white picket fences.
