The owners of historic White’s Ferry say they are now looking to sell to Montgomery County in an effort to reopen after more than two years of shutdown.
In Dec. 2020, the ferry stopped service after more than 230 years of operation over a legal dispute between the ferry operator and Rockland Farm, the Virginia property where the ferry operates. In Feb. 2021, Chuck and Stacy Kuhn purchased the ferry and the Maryland side where it operates.
A $1.1 million offer made in January to purchase the Virginia landing site from Rockland Farm was denied, per a release Monday from JK Land Holdings, which is owned by the Kuhn family. The offer included funding from ferry owners, Montgomery and Loudoun Counties, and former ferry owner Herb Brown.
“Unfortunately, Rockland Farm owners rejected the bid—which was well above the land value—and has caused White’s Ferry owners to pursue selling the land and operation to Montgomery County,” the release reads.
“It’s unfathomable that one family is standing in the way of people’s livelihoods,” White’s Ferry owner Chuck Kuhn wrote. “We have run out of options and will now seek to sell the ferry land and operations to Montgomery County so it can work to invoke eminent domain and acquire the Virginia landing site.”
MyMCM reached out to Rockland Farm for comment.
During a media briefing Monday, County Council President Evan Glass said the ferry needs to be operational again.
“If there is interest in selling land to Montgomery County or the state of Maryland to help resolve this situation, I think we should have a conversation and we should see if it is a good deal for the residents of Montgomery County and especially the residents of the greater Poolesville area,” he said in response to MyMCM. He added he had not seen details just yet as of Monday afternoon.
This past December, advocates and Poolesville residents joined a rally to mark the two-year anniversary of the service shutdown.
