The future of White’s Ferry is once again in jeopardy, as the new owners say they can no longer see a way to work with the owners of the Virginia-side landing.
White’s Ferry was established in 1786 and before it ceased operation in 2020, it carried nearly 800 daily users across the Potomac River.
The prior owner of White’s Ferry, Herb Brown, decided to sell the business after failing to reach an agreement with the owners of Rockland Farm in Virginia, who owned the landing. At the time of the sale, Rockland Farm owner Libby Devlin said she was hopeful to come to an agreement with new owners Chuck and Stacy Kuhn.
Devlin had said she was “very much in favor” of a proposal from the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors that would charge a fee per vehicle using the landing. She said Brown had rejected the idea, but “We are optimistic that the Kuhns will be open to such an arrangement.” Recently, Devlin said she favored an agreement after a study was commissioned by Loudoun County, Virginia, and Montgomery County, Maryland.
However, the Kuhns said in a statement Friday that they failed to come to an agreement with Rockland Farm, as well. They also said that the farm has maligned them through “aggressive and misleading online and signage campaigns,” and they have been “insulted in public by a Rockland Farm owner … as recently as Tuesday night in front of the Loudoun County Government Center.”
The Kuhns said they paid for three separate appraisals of Rockland Farm and offered $13 million to buy it, but that the offer was initially ignored before being rejected.
“Rockland Farm’s repeated demands for $2 million cash or 50 cents a car each way along with unacceptable deal terms made negotiations impossible,” the Kuhns said.
The Kuhns said negotiations with Rockland Farm have soured to the point that they do not see a way to do business going forward.
“Given the difficulty and lack of professionalism negotiating with the Rockland Farm ownership, no further negotiations with them appear possible,” their statement reads.
