The last hand-poled ferry in the United States, Hatton Ferry crosses the historic James River from Albemarle into Buckingham County. The Ferry still offers free rides across the James—a living education in river transportation of yesteryear—and visitors can stroll river banks once peopled by Monacan Indians.
In operation since 1870, the ferry became a casualty of VDOT budget cuts in 2009. The Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society assumed ownership and is raising funds to keep it operational. The Rivanna Garden Club will assist in replacing the information kiosk, providing landscaping, and placing substantial picnic tables and trash receptacles. The Club has identified plantings it will install both for beauty and erosion mitigation at the water’s edge, on higher banks, and near the parking lot.
A canoe and tubing business brings over 22,000 people to Hatton Ferry annually. Educational offerings at the ferry and nearby remnants of the Kanawha Canal also attract tourists.
By enhancing the beauty of the area, conserving the river bank and providing educational and recreational opportunities for the public, this award would preserve a unique piece of Americana on the James River that is an asset not only to Virginia, but to our entire nation.
