If you and your family are searching for a new home in the American Northwest, the city of Sherwood, Oregon is a natural choice. Sherwood, a thriving community of over 15,000 residents, offers something for everyone. A quaint historic downtown has made room for a 10-screen theatre next to its tearooms and sliced out space for an ice rink alongside its antique shops. With Sherwood real estate, your family can enjoy the excitement of city life in Portland right along with a quiet, community-centered home life.

The history of Sherwood began in 1843, when the first wagon train arrived in the area. By 1853, the area was well settled by farmers. At the time, the journey to Portland for supplies took three days, and the area was home to the native Tualatin tribe. The town proper really took off in 1870, when J.C. Smock allowed a railroad company to claim a right-of-way through his property. Smock and his family plotted out a downtown labyrinth of streets to surround the new depot and named the settlement Smockville.

The new community began to build wealth and prosperity though business as a brickyard: easy rail access to Portland made the industry a natural fit for the town. The abundance of building materials also allowed for much construction in Smockville itself. Today’s nine-block “Old Town” was, at the time, Smockville’s thriving new downtown – and visitors can still scope out J.C. Smock’s original home on First Street.

Near the end of the 19^th Century, the brickyard closed and much of the downtown area was razed by a catastrophic fire that was eventually extinguished by a neighborhood bucket brigade. A second fire a dozen years later prompted the town council to recommend that the city be rebuilt in fireproof brick – and many of these brick buildings still stand today. This fact alone makes Sherwood real estate more desirable as innovative thinking such as this means higher property value.

In the past century, Sherwood’s population has grown from just a few hundred to over 15,000, and industry has expanded to include a wide swath of manufacturing. Sherwood real estate, then, offers families access to a vibrant, forward-thinking community that is a great fit for a wide array of people.

Each July, the community comes together for the annual Robin Hood Festival (so named because of the name the community shares with the famed Sherwood Forest). The Robin Hood Festival, which has a history that spans more than 50 years, brings the community together for food, crafts, music, and a parade. The festival includes the crowing of Maid Marian, in which local teens and young girls apply for the chance to represent the festival’s leader and her court.

Life on Sherwood real estate offers the opportunity for families to come together and find a place to call home in the American Northwest. Visit Sherwood today to find the home that matches your family’s needs.