POOLESVILLE, MD — Montgomery County officials announced on Friday the $1.5 million purchase of the White's Ferry property, potentially setting the county on a path to restoring its service.
As part of the deal between Montgomery County and former White's Ferry owners Chuck and Stacy Kuhn, the county will take possession of the following at 24801 White's Ferry Road in Dickerson:
Separately valued at $7 million, the ferry boats, business assets, and a mix of other equipment were donated to the county, per the agreement.
A release issued by the county stated the donation was made "to support efforts to establish property rights in Virginia so ferry service can resume."
Next steps at the site include removing the ferry boats from the water, undertaking repairs at the site and resuming negotiations with Virginia counterparts.
The last time the ferry operations ran between Maryland and Virginia was in December 2020. Service ended after owners from both Montgomery and Loudoun counties failed to come to terms on property rights.
Before shutting down, the operation ferried nearly 800 drivers daily across the Potomac River.
The Virginia landing is owned by Rockland Farm LLC, a family partnership led by Libby Devlin. Negotiations between both Maryland and Virginia owners have failed to resolve the issue.
"The challenges in getting the ferry restored over the last six years have been incredibly complex and at every turn, we have encountered a new obstacle," said Chris Conklin, the director of the Montgomery County Department of Transportation.
"I understand the frustration of community members, particularly for our residents and businesses in and around Poolesville. With this step, Montgomery County has done everything within its Constitutional authority to enable a restart."
"While western Montgomery County and Poolesville have been most impacted by the loss of this service, it provided major benefits for residents in Loudoun County and the Town of Leesburg as well," he added.
The ferry crossing was established in 1786 and served as the only Maryland-Virginia crossing in that area.
Last April, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich encouraged a settlement between both landowners with a $3 million incentive to no avail. Devlin has previously said that an agreement could be made if it favored a "volume-based fee that varies with the amount of traffic encroaching upon our land."
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