"There's a whole book that tells you the story," Village Council Member John Baresich said of the name proposed for Marvin's new park, according to The Charlotte Weekly. "You don't always have that connection that you can learn."
Most Marvin families know Marvin Efird Park on New Town Road, with its playgrounds and its disc golf course. The new park at Village Hall is a different kind of place. The Village planned it as a garden, a walking loop and a gathering lawn. Its name points back to a land inheritance from more than a century ago, a story already told in a published book and a documentary film. With Houston-Ross Park, Marvin's two parks now do two separate jobs, and the second one comes with its own history to learn.
The Inheritance Behind the Name
The proposal came from the Marvin Historical Society. Amanda Richard introduced the group to the newly elected Village Council on Jan. 5, and Lauren Thomas made the same pitch to the Marvin Parks, Recreation, and Greenways Board the next day, The Charlotte Weekly reported.
Richard pointed people to Gene Stowe's book, Inherit the Land: Jim Crow Meets Miss Maggie's Will. According to The Charlotte Weekly's account, the book tells how Bob Ross, a Black man, and his daughter, Mittie Bell Houston, inherited property from two white sisters, Maggie and Sallie Ross, more than 100 years ago. Director Cylk Cozart later made the book into a documentary.
The same report says Mittie Bell Houston was a founding member of Marvin A.M.E. Zion Church. More than 16 members of the church came to the council meeting where the name was proposed, and a man who said he was her great-grandson endorsed it. Thomas told the parks board that the Historical Society had the blessing of area churches and of descendants of the Ezell family. "I think that their voice and opinion matters because this was their land, too," Richard said, per The Charlotte Weekly.
Village Council then adopted the name "Houston-Ross Park," honoring Mittie Bell Houston and the Ross Sisters, as recorded in the Village's meeting materials.
The church connection showed up again at the dedication. The Village's Sept. 22 notice set the ribbon cutting for Saturday, Sept. 26, at 1 p.m., "honoring the history of the Houston Ross family." Shuttles ran from the Marvin AME Zion Church Annex at 9422 New Town Road.
A Park Designed Around a Garden
The park is on the Village Hall site at 10006 Marvin School Road, at the corner of New Town Road. That location is a big part of its character. It's the same spot where the Village holds council business and where kids come for "Council with Kids" every fall. Marvin Efird Park sits a few addresses down New Town Road at 8909.
The Village's 2026 retreat materials list the planned features for the Village Hall park:
- A rain garden
- A walking loop
- An event lawn
- Covered seating
- A water feature
- Pedestrian lighting
The parks board's May 2026 minutes describe butterfly and rain-garden plantings, a contracted water feature, a pergola on order, and park signage still being planned. That board also discussed historical panels about the Houston-Ross families and a land acknowledgment naming the Cheraw, Catawba and Waxhaw peoples.
None of the plans include a playground, a ballfield or a disc golf basket. Marvin already has those, a short drive away.
Two Parks, Two Jobs
Here's how the new park compares with the one Marvin families already know, based on the Village's own descriptions:
| Marvin Efird Park | Houston-Ross Park | |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 8909 New Town Road | 10006 Marvin School Road, Village Hall site |
| Listed or planned features | Playgrounds, 9-hole disc golf course, picnic areas, gardens, restrooms, walking trails | Rain garden, walking loop, event lawn, covered seating, water feature, pedestrian lights |
| Parking | Park lot | Village Hall lot, roughly 30 vehicles |
| Trail tie-in | Park walking trails | Village Hall is an access point for the Preserve Trail and Marvin Loop |
Parking is the detail most likely to matter on a busy day. The 2023 master plan for the site used Village Hall's existing lot and added no new spaces. The Village's facility rentals page puts that lot at about 30 vehicles. A big event at Houston-Ross Park needs a shuttle, which is why the Village ran one from the church annex for the dedication. On a weekday morning, 30 spaces is plenty for a walk around the loop.
The trail connection may be the most useful everyday feature. The Village's trails page lists Village Hall parking as an access point for the Preserve Trail and the Marvin Loop. The May board minutes discussed putting a smaller Houston-Ross Park entrance sign near a future pedestrian connection to the Marvin Loop. That points toward a park people walk into from the greenway, as well as one they drive to.
The Village's posted park regulations, including the leash rule, are labeled "Marvin-Efird Park General Regulations." Check with Village Hall for the hours and rules at the new park.
How a Small Village Paid for It
Marvin's strategic plan for 2026 to 2036 lists finishing Houston-Ross Park and promoting its grand opening as Year 1 actions, next to electrical upgrades at Marvin Efird Park.
The money came from several sources. The Village describes the park as partially funded by a state PARTF grant that required a $500,000 Village match. A $250,000 grant from the state Office of State Budget and Management covered half of that match.
The water feature shows how the numbers came down. According to March 2026 joint-meeting minutes, it was valued at $130,000. The Village expected to pay about $32,000 for materials, and Pondscapes of Charlotte donated the installation and ongoing maintenance. In separate March minutes, the council approved a change order capped at $7,000 for the wet pond and water-harvesting feature, contingent on funds being available. A local business carrying most of the cost of the park's centerpiece is a big help in a village this size.
Next door, Weddington is just getting started on the same question. The town scheduled a public meeting for Oct. 19, where LaBella was set to report on resident feedback about building a town park.
A Late-October Weekend Using Both Parks
The Village's community events calendar puts two events at Efird this weekend, so it's an easy chance to visit both parks:
- Friday, Oct. 23, 5 to 8 p.m.: Trick or Treat in the Park at Marvin Efird Park, 8909 New Town Road. Local businesses hand out candy while supplies last, and there's a food truck, face painting, crafts, music and a bounce house.
- Saturday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to noon: Arbor Day at Marvin Efird Park. The Village says more details are coming.
- Saturday afternoon: Village Hall. After Arbor Day, head over to 10006 Marvin School Road for a slower loop past the rain garden and water feature, or pick up the Preserve Trail or Marvin Loop from the Village Hall lot.
The calendar keeps both parks busy after that. The Friendship Tree Program runs Mondays through Thursdays in November, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Village Hall. The tree lighting is set for Saturday, Dec. 5, at Marvin Efird Park, with the time still to be announced.
If you'd like to read the story behind the name before you walk the loop, Gene Stowe's Inherit the Land is the place to start.
For more than 20 years, The Kim Hamrick Team has worked with families across Marvin and nearby Union County towns, and we love seeing the Village put its own history into a public space at Village Hall. If you live near New Town Road or Marvin School Road and want to know what your home is worth now that Marvin has a second park, start with your instant home valuation and we'll go over the local details together.
