Montgomery County Councilmembers accepted a $1.5 million state grant Tuesday to use as a financial incentive to encourage all parties involved in the operation of White’s Ferry to resume transporting people and vehicles across the Potomac River, after the historic vessel shutdown in 230-year long service in 2020 over a land dispute.
The county previously agreed to match that grant, for a total of $3 million in public funding for the current owner of White’s Ferry and the owner of the Virginia landing so they may resolve their differences and restore the ferry’s operation.
The money will be used “to advance negotiations with the private entities to restore ferry operations,” according to a letter from County Executive Marc Elrich.
Chuck and Stacey Kuhn, owners of White’s Ferry, and land owner Elizabeth “Libby” Devlin, who owns Rockland Farm on the Virginia side of where the ferry docks, have until July 2026 to reach an agreement to restart the service.
The ferry has not crossed the Potomac River since December 2020. Before it closed, about 600 to 800 cars were transported daily.
According to a 2021 study by Montgomery and Loudoun counties, reopening the ferry service would have a more than $9 million annual impact on the two communities. Since White’s Ferry stopped operating, the Town of Poolesville has suffered financially.
