I like to stay informed and I enjoy MOCO. The first known ferry operation at the location was Conrad's Ferry,[3] pronounced contemporaneously by the locals as "Coonrod's Ferry"[4] in 1861. Dickerson, Maryland 20842 And those who boarded and disembarked on the Maryland side couldnt miss the massive bronze structure beside the dock: a 107-year-old statue of a Confederate soldier. Kuhn Family Purchases White's Ferry, Preserving History and That should count fir something. Get er done!!! In the meantime, commuters such as Armstrong will continue to seek out alternative ways to cross the river. The ruling came in a decade-old lawsuit over the so-called Rockland Farm property. Historic White's Ferry ceases operations in Loudoun and Montgomery By 2040, according to the study, demand for trips could exceed 2,300. The name Whites Ferry refers to Confederate Col. Elijah V. White, who, after the Civil War, purchased and renamed Conrads Ferry, which began operating in 1782. While working through the efforts to regain landing rights, the Kuhns invested in needed upgrades and repairs, ensuring that the ferry could reopen within 30 days of an agreement with Rockland Farms. I hated to close it, but it just made no sense to go to work., Kuhn has advocated that Loudoun take the property through eminent domain, an option Devlin opposes. Whites Ferry represents a piece of the regions past as an early commerce route that built and sustained local economies and remains so today. Music provided by Manhattan Production Music. Why didnt they ever settle with the Farm folks over the last 20 years, or even discuss it before it got to this point. Co, Md; living about 17 miles from Gtwn, on the road leading to Coonrod's ferry." Welcome Back Message From Montgomery County Public Schools. Skeptical that she can afford a home in Maryland, Armstrong is considering a career change that would eliminate the lengthy commute. Rockland Farms just lost a customer. Last week, Chuck Kuhn, founder and CEO of JK Moving Services, and his wife Stacy Kuhn, reached an agreement to buy the ferry service and associated land and goods. She said the offers were rebuffed. Quick game passing concepts let the Commanders get a move on, Nationals are promoting outfielder Dylan Crews to Class AA Harrisburg, Why the Nats dont ride their bullpen cart: A Washington Post investigation. It has never stopped being a special thing.. They have sold the ferry with the hopes that we would have a better chance of opening the ferry than he did. Whites Ferry is the last remaining ferry in Montgomery County. The plan had called for Rockland Farm to sell the 1.4 acres landing site for $1.1 millionwell above the appraised value for the floodplain land. Whites Ferry operated from 1786 through 2020. Is a Solution for Whites Ferry on the Horizon for Potomac? My guess is that they buy the ferry and shut it down. In operation since 1786, White's Ferry is the last working ferry of 100 ferries . Devlin had tried to buy the ferry from its former owner, Herbert Brown. Quick game passing concepts let the Commanders get a move on, Nationals are promoting outfielder Dylan Crews to Class AA Harrisburg, Why the Nats dont ride their bullpen cart: A Washington Post investigation, numerous Virginia landmarks in recent years. It was in the family for 75 years. Rockland made no counteroffer and ultimately rejected our offer. A Confederate statue is toppled in rural Maryland, then quietly stored away. No winners here. We are doing everything that we can.. take the land by eminent domain like they threatened Ashburn with if we didnt sell We need va rt15 to be 4 lanes a new river crossing that whole road is deadly. The decision was just one part in a decades-long legal battle between the Maryland family that formerly owned and operated the ferry and Devlins family. Woman Dead After Striking Tree Thursday Night; Collision Maryland Department of the Environment Encourages Water Conservation Wet, Wacky, & Wild Event Takes Place Friday, New Voluntary Water Conservation Notice Issued in Poolesville, https://loudounnow.com/2019/07/30/betsey-jean-smith-brown-1929-2019/, https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/business/15brown.html, https://www.forbes.com/profile/peter-brown/, https://cis.scc.virginia.gov/EntitySearch/BusinessInformation?businessId=455126&source=FromEntityResult&isSeries=False, https://www.facebook.com/Historic-Rockland-1580811552157030/, The Original Steak and Hoagies to Open First Maryland Location This Weekend, Attorney General Brown Co-Leads Coalition of 15 Attorneys General Urging EPA to Strengthen Proposed Rules for Advanced Recycling Facilities, $4 Movie Tickets at All MoCo Theaters This Sunday, August 27 for National Cinema Day, Bens Chili Bowl in DC to Give Away Free Half Smokes on Tuesday, August 22 for 65th Anniversary. The closed White's Ferry operation is pictured from the Loudoun County side of the Potomac River. White's Ferry argued for its right to use the landing due to having customers and business operations on that side of the river for over . So much enjoyment for area Sunday travellers taken away, This is very disappointing. 24801 White's Ferry Rd. The court ruled in favor of Virginia, citing the MarylandVirginia Compact of 1785, an agreement between the two states concerning navigational and riparian water rights along the Potomac River. Thats more expensive than land in Washington, D.C., he said Friday. The farm previously had sought $200,000 annually for landing rights an amount Brown said the six-employee business could not afford. do to save this for our county. White's Ferry closed at the end of 2020 due to an ongoing legal dispute between the ferry . Rockland Farms repeated demands for $2 million cash for the small parcel of land that constitutes the landing site or 50 cents a car each way along with unacceptable deal terms made negotiations impossible. [1] The location offered fishing services and water recreation including canoeing. And they can afford to donate to every local politician in Leesburg and Richmond. After purchasing historic White's Ferry in February 2021, Chuck and Stacy Kuhn encountered obstacles to reopening this . I would say that the disruption to daily life and life for me on the weekends has been devastating, she said. Shes not optimistic after months of failed negotiations, but she continues to hope for a breakthrough. White?s Ferry owner offers $400,000 to restore Potomac River service A beloved and historic Potomac River ferry shuttered by legal disputes last year may have a new chance to shuttle again. In an email, Loudoun County spokesman Glen Barbour said the county is engaged in facilitating conversations among the parties involved., He added: Our hope is that these conversations will help identify a solution that works for the property owner, the ferry operator and members of our community who utilize the ferry services.. Greed greed greed. Though the restaurants website says its minutes from historic [Whites] Ferry, the hundreds of cars that used to stream by Bassetts daily simply dont these days. v. White's Ferry, Inc., that no public landing exists on the Virginia shoreline at White's . Traffic was down 30percent amid the coronavirus pandemic, while flooding had forced the ferry to suspend services temporarily. The economic impact of resuming ferry operations (based on travel time savings, travel cost savings, safety savings, the value of emissions avoided, and the value of trips not taken) will be over $9 million this year alone and will result in a travel time savings that equate to up to $1.7 million a year, according to a Montgomery County Department of Transportation study. In a statement to WTOP News, Kuhn, said he appreciates the work and insights from the recent joint study by Montgomery and Loudoun Counties., The impasse has cost people time and money and added traffic and environmental woes to our community, he said. Thanks for all of your support of Rocklands Farm WINERY. The ferry's current owner, real estate . Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here. I would like it if we could sit down and negotiate something, she said. [1] The location offered fishing services and water recreation including canoeing. The county wanted us to negotiate privately, she said. According to the Washington Business Journal, negotiations between the Kuhns and Rockland Farm LLC over use the ferry's Virginia docking site have come to a standstill. Kuhn has won numerous awards, including being recognized by the Washington Business Journal as a Top Corporate Philanthropist and Old Dominion Land Conservancy for his conservation efforts. That sucks! Armstrong is among hundreds of daily commuters feeling the effects a year after the ferrys closure. The Kuhns will be working with Peter Brown, the majority owner of Rockland Farm, to get the ferry up and running for nearly 800 daily users. Think about the communities this both affects and not just about money. Rockland Farm's repeated demands for $2 million cash or 50 cents a car . If Rockland Winery has no part they should be able to sue the LLC for loss of business etc It would be in the best interest of them or someone on their behalf to find out who this entity is and where they are from. Chevy Chase, MD 20815. "I would like it if we could sit down. The event is sponsored by the town of Poolesville, Maryland, and receives support from many groups and individuals within the community. The only reason Rockland Farm wants the Ferry re-opened is to have a perpetual annuity to support the Farm from someone elses labor. I live in Western Montgomery County, and my family owns a farm just a mile from the ferry site. A three-minute boat ride was replaced with a journey to Point of Rocks, Md., on Routes 15 and 28. We look to the counties to help us move forward and support whatever direction they deem best to get Whites Ferry working for our region.. Once and Future White's Ferry? - Connection Newspapers Currently, the ferry is owned by Malcolm Brown, whose father purchased the location in 1946 with other business partners. Statement by Chuck Kuhn Owner, White's Ferry | Business Wire In a statement, the owner of. When she moved from Ohio to Virginia to fulfill a lifelong dream of working with horses, Andy Jane Armstrong didnt think her future would depend on a cable-run ferry line established in the late 1700s. The farm was awarded more than $100,000 in damages. Whites Ferrys owner chose not to deal with Rockland Farm, LLC, so, it is apparent that the idea for him was just to shut everything down, permanently, and walk away from the business, for whatever reason. We spend billions on adding lanes, rail-lines and other alternatives, yet VA wont take modest step to retain this super-low cost option? Whites Ferry in Leesburg, Virginia, will be in operation again soon. Under the proposal, the landing site would be limited to public use and passage along Whites Ferry Road including potential modifications to facilitate vehicle travel, pedestrian and bicycle passage, or improved ferry operations. From 2012: Whites Ferrys swift trips across the Potomac have long history. In addition to purchasing the landing site, at their request and our cost, we had the entire Rockland Farm appraised three times to explore the possibility of purchasing the whole farm as an option for reopening the landing site. Rocklands Farm Winery (MD) is not related to Rockland Farm LLC (VA). In February 2021, White's Ferry was purchased by Loudoun County businessman Chuck Kuhn with plans to revive its operation by either buying or negotiating a permanent easement on the Virginia landing site which is owned by hedge fund manager Peter Brown and his two sisters. It closed after a property dispute with a former wedding venue whose owner argued that the service trespassed on its Virginia farmland. Since purchasing it, the Kuhns have been working with Rockland Farm and the local and state municipalities to find a good-faith resolution. In a December newsletter, Loudoun County Board Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said the board is not talking about eminent domain. Loudoun County spokesman Glen Barbour said in an email that there has been no further direction from the Board of Supervisors., Board members reiterated that the parties involved should work together to find a solution that would result in the resumption of ferry services, Barbour wrote. We did not buy the ferry with the intention of getting rich, he said. As the ferrys current and former owners spar with the family that owns the ferry landing, an agreement that could reopen the service has proven to be elusive. Historic Rockland Farm (Virginia) Responds to White Ferry Announcement clockThis article was published more than2 years ago. Public officials said they have tried to broker a deal between Whites Ferry and Rockland to no avail so far. (Both families had the surname of Brown, but they were not related.) No one can operate the Ferry as on ongoing business based on Rocklands current demands., November 20, 2021 - Statement by Chuck Kuhn, Owner of Whites Ferry, We have made numerous very fair offers to lease and/or purchase the landing site in good faith with no success. The moving mogul has bought numerous Virginia landmarks in recent years in an effort to preserve historic places and environmental sanctuaries. The ferry has been there since 1700s! Whites Ferry has operated since 1786, recently as an $8 cable ferry service that carried vehicles across the Potomac River from Poolesville to Loudoun County. Kuhn looks to sell White's Ferry to Montgomery County as standoff with Rockland Farm continues By Coy Ferrell cferrell@loudountimes.com Mar 29, 2023 1 The White's Ferry vessel is. Theres a lot of lives, families and businesses that are affected by this, and I think both sides need to come to an agreement.. The ferry continued to operate regardless. Montgomery County Man Arrested for Illegally Installing Hidden MoCo Establishments To Be Featured in MPT Special Montgomery Parks to Improve Lighting on the Capital Sheetz to Offer Discounted Gas This Thursday at Whites Ferry ceased operations back in December 2020 over a legal dispute with Rockland Farms. White's Ferry Owners Will Try to Sell to Montgomery County I got rid of a headache, but Im still involved as much as I can, he said in an interview. Chuck Kuhn started JK Moving Services at 16 years of age in the basement of his parents Northern Virginia home.

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