The island was one of the first settled places in Maryland, where Major Joseph Wickes was granted 800 acres (3.2 km2) in 1650 and built the now-vanished "Wickliffe" mansion.

[2] The island was visited in precolonial times by Woodland period Native Americans, who left shell middens, arrowheads and pottery behind.

Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge serves as a land-use model within the Chesapeake Bay watershed through its sustainable agriculture, wetland restoration and native landscaping.

In 2002, Eastern Neck Island became the first National Wildlife Refuge in the United States to install a wind turbine on its grounds.

The purpose of the 10 kW wind turbine is to provide on-site electric power to an administration building, while publicly demonstrating the concept of renewable energy.

The DOE's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) has allowed Eastern Neck NWR to contract the services of an expert in order to document the extent to which bird behavior is altered by the operation of the turbine.

Aside from birding and other wildlife viewing, Eastern Neck Island offers facilities and trails for hiking, boating, crabbing, fishing, hunting and biking.

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.