Montgomery County just dropped $1.5 million to buy the Maryland side of White's Ferry and acquire its operational assets. Local leaders stood on the bank in Poolesville, shook hands with owners Chuck and Stacy Kuhn, and celebrated.
If you commute between Maryland and Virginia, don't throw away your bridge route yet.
The cable ferry hasn't carried cars across the Potomac River since December 2020. Why? A long legal fight ended with a court ruling that the boat was trespassing on the Virginia landing site, owned by Rockland Farm. Buying half a ferry route is like buying half a bridge. You still can't get to the other side.
The multi-million dollar buyout that changes less than you think
When Chuck Kuhn bought White's Ferry back in 2021, people thought his business background would wrap up negotiations with Rockland Farm fast. Instead, years passed with rejected buyout offers, failed easement talks, and arguments over a per-vehicle landing fee.
Now, Montgomery County steps in as the public entity. Kuhn donated the ferry boat itself and sold the Maryland land for $1.5 million.
"Before this, the two private parties pretty much controlled everything," said Link Hoewing, chair of the Fair Access Committee.
The argument goes that moving from a private-versus-private fight to a government-backed setup changes the dynamic. Officials hope Loudoun County will now step up to push for access on the Virginia side. But Libby Devlin, co-owner of Rockland Farm, stated she wasn't even invited to the press conference and knew nothing about the deal before it hit the news.
That isn't how you start a smooth collaboration.
Why the Virginia landing is a total deadlock
The core obstacle hasn't changed in almost six years. Rockland Farm holds the deed to the Virginia shoreline.
If Loudoun County wants to force access, they'd have to use eminent domain. Local officials previously admitted that seizing private property for a privately operated business was a legal nightmare. Public ownership on the Maryland side removes one legal roadblock, but taking private family land for a river ferry remains politically risky and expensive.
Some regional commuters point out that White's Ferry only carried 600 to 800 vehicles a day when it ran. Compare that to the thousands of cars jamming the American Legion Bridge every hour. It makes government officials ask: Is seizing land via court battle worth the political fallout for a capacity that small?
What happens to commuters right now
If you relied on White's Ferry to bypass Northern Virginia traffic, your options stay the same:
- Stick to Point of Rocks or the American Legion Bridge: Expect extra travel time during peak rush hours.
- Track Loudoun County Board meetings: Watch how supervisors react to Montgomery County's move over the next few months.
- Don't plan trips around a 2026 reopening: Legal procedures and cross-border agreements move slowly, assuming Virginia leaders even take action.
Public ownership is a necessary step, but without Virginia's green light, the ferry stays parked on the bank.
