Who are we and where are we? We are a small community nestled in Canterbury, north of the Shaker Village, right on the Northfield line. We have just under 3 miles of road and over 200 properties that wrap around New Pond (formerly Stump Pond) and Lyford Pond. We have a volunteer board of directors much like a selectmen’s board and have multiple meetings with the residents throughout the year to discuss plans.

When was it established? We were established as an entity (nowadays considered a Homeowners Association or HOA) in the 1960s to take ownership of the roads and beaches and to maintain them as necessary. It began as an area to build seasonal properties but now it’s home to many families.

How did we come to be? The Sherwood Forest Shores Association exists because of the two ponds, which were formed by the Shaker Village. Lyford Pond Dam was built in the late 1800s in order to have a water reserve for the hydraulic system in the village. Due to its “overwhelming success” collecting water, Stump Pond Dam was built to allow an overflow of Lyford. Fast forward half a century and several land divisions, the property around the ponds was sold and developed to become what is now the Sherwood Forest. 

I became the president and chair to the board of directors of the SFSA in 2020. My mission was simple at first: establish proper communication with the association. This allowed for all of the community to reach out. We have become a close-knit group of families that participate in several events like fishing derbies and Halloween house walks.

Our outreach to the town is to show we are here on the town outskirts and a large history of it is right in our backyard!
~ Jonas Sanborn

(Thanks to Joanna Michno for the beautiful drone photo!)