I have the deer situation too. For shrubs resistant to holly I use holly (lots of it!). I have a bunch of different varieties. You could probably grow the blue hollies (Blue Prince/Princess for example) or Inkberry (Ilex glabra). Another common hedge that has good deer resistance (and is evergreen) is boxwood. The variety "winter Gem" should be hardy enough in your zone. Good luck!

I have acid moist well-drained sandy loam soil and am on the edge between zones 4 & 5. Here are some plants to look at that work well for me. If there are smaller forms of Viburnum plicatum, that might work as they grow and bloom well with dappled or part shade IME. They have late spring white flowers, tidy summer foliage and red toned autumn color. Sorry about the lopsided shape of mine - a tree dropped on it. From 2013 Some of the smaller forms of reddish-foliaged ninebark might work there - I am not sure how large the smaller forms get. See fall photo with Hydrangea. There are other forms of Hydrangea paniculata than Pee Gee that have been selected for plant and blossom size, bloom color such as more lime in Limelight or early blushing in Quick Fire, or earlier or later bloom time, and you might want to check out some of these. I leave the dry blossoms on my H. paniculata for winter interest and prune them off about now. I also grow clematis (small flowered, hard prune type 3) into my H. paniculata to increase the bloom time, and since I can prune in late fall to 2 or 3 bud pairs per stem, it doesn't look messy in the winter. Here is Quick Fire with Clematis 'Little Bas' in midsummer. From clematis on hydrangea July 9, 2013 and the same plant in late September with a large ninebark, Coppertina, to the left. From 2013 Fothergilla is a shrub with white bottlebrush-shaped spring flowers, neat summer foliage (some forms bluish), and stunning red/orange/gold fall foliage. From 2013 Sorry theses Fothergilla flowers were wet, but it give an idea of their spring look. They have a lovely light honey scent.

You need to indicate the light condition (sun, shade, partial). Do you want evergreen shrubs or it doesn't matter? What about flowers? Does the area face south, north, east, west? Any adverse conditions (under a large eave so it is dry, the area is exposed to winds)? For something to stay under 3 feet, you definitely need to be considering dwarf varieties (unless you want a blue rug Juniper and I don't think you do).

Tricia, Rhododendrum is evergreen and might do well in that spot if there is no afternoon sun. You can prune it if it gets too big and it will have nice flowers in Spring. Mountain Laurel, the PA state shrub is evergreen and has flowers, won't get real high for you. Variegated privet is really beautiful and you could shape it any way you like, takes abuse and flowers in spring. All green, there are boxwoods, you could shape nice, even a topiary which would look different. Some azelas might do alright there, there are evergreen ones, if you mulch them real good. Encore azelas might make it in your zone well mulched and bloom off and on through the summer. If you go with a rhodo, amend the soil real good with spagnum peat moss and mabey a few rocks, since your soil is clayish. Chuck Hayes gardenia is evergreen, and if you amend the soil like a rhodo, you could have a beautiful gardenia out front and boy do they boom in the spring and the whole neighborhood smells it. There were people on this forum from Philadelphia that had a 4 foot Chuck Hayes that grew well, they had to trim some of it down.(check Fragrant forum, input Chuck Hayes). SOrry, ran out of ideas. Hope you find something nice.