The Woodland Ferry, historically known as Cannon's Ferry, is a

cable ferry A cable ferry (including the terms chain ferry, swing ferry, floating bridge, or punt) is a ferry that is guided (and in many cases propelled) across a river or large body of water by cables connected to both shores. Early cable ferries often ...

located in western Sussex County, Delaware,

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, spanning the Nanticoke River at

Woodland, Delaware Woodland is an unincorporated community in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. Woodland is located on the Nanticoke River, southwest of Seaford. Cannon's Ferry, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places The National ...

, west of the city of Seaford. The ferry is operated year-round by the

Delaware Department of Transportation The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) is an agency of the U.S. state of Delaware. The Secretary of Transportation is Nicole Majeski. The agency was established in 1917 and has its headquarters in Dover. The department's responsibil ...

. It is closed on national holidays of

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, and New Year's Day, and also as required by weather.

History

The ferry is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, ferries in continuous operation in the United States. In addition to its longevity, the ferry is of historical importance as one of the locations where slave runner

Patty Cannon Patty Cannon, whose birth name may have been Lucretia Patricia Hanly (c. 1759/1760 or 1769 – May 11, 1829), was an illegal slave trader, murderer and the co-leader of the Cannon–Johnson Gang of Maryland–Delaware. The group operated for a ...

embarked with kidnapped refugee slaves and free blacks. She shipped them to

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where the free blacks were sold into slavery and refugee slaves returned to servitude. The Ferry was established in the 1740s by James Cannon, and operated by his son Jacob after his death. After Jacob's death in 1793, his widow petitioned the

Delaware General Assembly The Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 representatives. It meets at Legisl ...

for exclusive rights to operate a ferry service across the river. The ferry was privately operated by the Cannon family until the mid-19th century, when the General Assembly authorized the county to operate a free ferry at the location of "Cannon's Ferry". In 1935, the Delaware Department of Transportation assumed responsibility for the operation of the ferry and has continued to operate it into the 21st century.

National Register of Historic Places listing

Cannon's Ferry is a historic home and

added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1973. Cannon Hall was built about 1810, and is a two-story, five bay, single-pile frame dwelling in the

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style. It has a small frame wing attached to the west end of the main house. It has a central hall plan and interior end chimneys. The property also includes the ferry landing site. At least since 1793, and perhaps longer, a public ferry has crossed the river here. It is the last cable ferry in Delaware. and 'Delaware Public Archives: Cannon's Ferry
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Woodland Ferry vessel, the ''Tina Fallon''

The 65-foot-long ''Tina Fallon'' was put into service in 2007, replacing the 65-foot-long ''Virginia C''. The ''Virginia C'', which can transport up to three vehicles at a time, was sold at auction in February 2008. The ''Tina Fallon'' was constructed by Chesapeake Shipbuilding of

Salisbury, Maryland Salisbury () is a city in and the county seat of Wicomico County, Maryland, United States, and the largest city in the state's Eastern Shore region. The population was 33,050 at the 2020 census. Salisbury is the principal city of the Salisbury ...

at a cost of $931,000 and can carry six vehicles at a time. The site work was completed by George and Lynch of

New Castle, Delaware New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The city is located six miles (10 km) south of Wilmington and is situated on the Delaware River. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 5,285. History New Castl ...

. The total cost for the project was approximately 3.2 million dollars, including the $931,000 for the ferry, $1.8 million for new docks and $500,000 for permits, security cameras and lighting. The new ferry was named after Tina Fallon, a long-time Delaware state representative from Seaford.

Woodland Ferry Festival

The Woodland Ferry Festival is held every September in Seaford to celebrate the ferry and its contribution to local culture.

References

External links

"Woodland Ferry"
Official website, Delaware Dept. of Transportation
Historical Marker info
Delaware State Archives Homepage]

Article in ''American Profile'', 31 August 2003]
Cannon Hall, Road 79 at Woodland Ferry, Woodland, Sussex County, DE
2 photos, 3 data pages, and 1 photo caption page at

Historic American Buildings Survey Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...

, Library of Congress {{National Register of Historic Places in Delaware Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Delaware Georgian architecture in Delaware Houses completed in 1810 Houses in Sussex County, Delaware Ferries of Delaware Transportation in Sussex County, Delaware National Register of Historic Places in Sussex County, Delaware Cable ferries in the United States Ships on the National Register of Historic Places Nanticoke River