I'd guess it's an American hornbeam? And the trunk in the last pic doesn't look like the little stick of a trunk of the center tree in the 1st pic, and where's all the ferns on the ground in the 3rd pic?

Your next pics seem to me to be American bladdernut.

I came across an attractive mid-size tree somehow thriving in very deep shade in nearby Rocky Gap park (MD), and inspected it closely as it had low branches. It had rather rough, very dark, slightly shedding bark, and I realized it was a hop hornbeam. Closely related to Amer hornbeam, but was much more tree-like & was impressed w/it and thought it would be a handsome species to plant (but I no longer have any room!).

Okay, Ben, you you’re going for the trifecta.

Third guess would be spicebush (which are all over the place in my area). I even see a small fruit there, which when I tasted when bright red on a spicebush, found out why it's called spicebush, and why the natives crushed them up and added to bland food to give it a kick.

It does look similar to spicebush, but I believe that's a leatherwood (Dirca palustris)

Dave got it! They were all over this park. If you’re looking for a small shrub with a tree-like habit, it might be worth checking out.