How about an island with a past stretching back millennia? I’m talking about Selden Island. This 408-acre island sits in the Potomac River. It’s about 20 miles WNW of Washington, D.C.
Selden Island is long and relatively narrow. It measures roughly 2.5 miles long. Its width varies between a quarter and a third of a mile. Interestingly, though the island is part of Montgomery County, Maryland, you can only reach it by road from Loudoun County, Virginia. A bridge connects it to the Virginia side.
Now, let’s journey back in time on Selden Island. Archaeological finds reveal human activity here as far back as 1000 BC, during the Early Woodland period. A distinct pottery style, known as Selden Island ware, comes from this era. Selden Island also holds the significant Walker Prehistoric Village. This site dates to the Late Woodland period. It earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
In a more recent and unsettling discovery, mosquitoes on Selden Island carried the Plasmodium vivax malarial parasite. This happened in 2002 after two teenagers in Loudoun County were diagnosed with malaria.
More recently, in 2004, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute bought Selden Island. It became an extension of their Janelia Farm Research Campus. Before that, the island was leased as a sod farm.
So, Selden Island presents a unique blend of ancient history and modern science. This unassuming island has been a silent witness to human activity for over three thousand years. From early settlements to a modern research hub, Selden Island continues to hold secrets. Its shores whisper tales of the past. Who knows what future discoveries await on this intriguing island in the Potomac?