I have an autumnal cherry that has several flowerings during the winter--every warm spell. It is blooming now and makes me so happy to have flowers during the cold season. It has leaves that dry up and don't seem to need raking. I just mow over them and they are gone. After 18 years the tree that started as a 4 foot twig is 30 ft wide and 20 feet tall. I have planted one in the front yard so I can be happy going and coming home from work. It also blooms in the spring. I have read negatives about it being ugly but mine is very full, umbrella shaped, grew quickly and has had no disease. The only negative is the surface roots but I have Lenten roses around it so they don't show that much. You might consider it for a specimen planting.

Of trees you mention, Dogwood and Eastern Redbud are both good choices. Cherry good, too. Dogwood will take sun. It would not look strange to have more than one matching dogwood.

Beth,
Tulip tree if you want beautiful native. Blooms tulip like flowers also.

There are some other natives you might want to consider. Red buckeye (aesculus pavia), river birch (betula nigra), carolina silverbell (halesia carolinia), magnolia virginia (sweetbay magnolia), yellow wood (cladrastris kentuckea) witch hazel (hamamelis -- I would choose x intermedia over the species virginiana). These are mostly small to medium sized trees. While you said you have room for a large tree, you specifically mentioned only small trees, so I stayed more to the small to medium range with my recommendations. I am not sure if the previous post is refering to tulip poplar (liriodendron tulipifera) or one of the deciduous magnolias. Liriodendron is native, but a very large tree.