Cut off from the mainland in the 1850s, Selden Neck has spent the better part of 160 years on its own as the largest island in the Connecticut River. The island is named after John Selden who was the second owner of the property having purchased it in 1695. It remained in the Selden family for approximately 170 years until the 1860s. In 1889 a partnership bought the property to quarry the islands’ red granite schist for paving stones. These paving blocks were four inches wide, seven inches deep and twelve inches long. These blocks were used for paving the streets of New York city nearly 130 years ago.

Seldon Creek runs behind the island and is dredged to an average of about 10 feet.