Existing comment:
Ernest Conrad established a ferry at this point in 1828. He charged "6-1/4 cents per man, mule, or horse, 3 cents for a head of cattle." Carriages were a steep price of 6-1/4 cents per wheel. Soon after the conclusion of the Civil War in 1865, Col EV White, a former Confederate officer, bought the ferry operation and in 1871, the name was changed from Conrads Ferry to Whites Ferry. The ferry passed through several owners and the operation was updated by the use of a metal cable in 1871 and a gasoline engine in 1919. The old wooden barge was destroyed in the flood of 1942, halting ferry operations. In 1946, the current owners purchased the defunct business and reopened the ferry using a wooden army surplus barge. The steel barge now being used was purchased in 1953. The boat is named after the Civil War General Jubal A Early and is propelled using a diesel tug. This is the only ferry in operation on the Potomac River. It connects Loudoun County, Virginia, with Montgomery County, Maryland and is in continuous operation except for periods of high water or ice.
The old iron bridge nearby was used to carry traffic across the C&O Canal, providing access to Whites Ferry and at the same time, allowing canal boats to pass underneath. The stone abutments eliminated the piers which impeded canal navigation. It was constructed in 1876, and was used until canal operations ceased in 1924. |