Legal Dispute Grounds Last Remaining Potomac River Ferry Service

Historic White's Ferry, which has crossed the Potomac River between Virginia and Maryland since the late 18th century, has announced that it will cease operations.

1 minute read

December 30, 2020, 12:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Potomac River

White's Ferry as it approaches the Maryland side of the Potomac River. | Christopher Ziemnowicz / Wikimedia Commons

"The last remaining ferry boat to shuttle traffic across the Potomac River announced on Monday it would immediately cease operations due to a centuries-old legal dispute over its landing on the Virginia side of the river," reports Martin Austermuhle.

"Historic White’s Ferry, which has run ferry service between Montgomery County on the Maryland side and Loudoun County on the Virginia side since the late 1700s, said that a Virginia court had ruled that 'no public landing exists on the Virginia shoreline at White’s Ferry Road and the ferry is prohibited from landing at that location in Virginia,'" adds Austermuhle.

Austermuhle adds the entire backstory on the ferry and the dispute, and also notes political support on both sides of the river for resolving the conflict and restarting ferry service.

Joseph Choi also picked up the news for The Hill.

Monday, December 28, 2020 in DCist

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