Roton Hill

Roton Hill is a neighborhood in South Norwalk, Connecticut. Historically it sat outside of the built-up area of town, so residents were described as living on Roton Hill, near South Norwalk. The hill runs along Highland Avenue, from Rowayton up to Flax Hill Road and the neighborhoods beyond. In fact Highland used to be called Roton Hill Road. The real estate development along Rampart Road was called Roton Hill in the 1940's, but since then the term has dropped out of use. That was convenient for me because it meant that the domain name was available.

The word “Roton” comes from a Native American term of unclear meaning. It was applied to a number of landscape features in this area starting in the 1600’s, including the nearby river and town of Noroton. It is ultimately the source of the name Rowayton as well. There is also a beachfront called Roton Point down in Rowayton, a little beyond the southern tip of Roton Hill. It was quite the popular getaway in the late 1890’s.

So what's Flax Hill, then? It's the hill just to the east of Roton Hill. If you’re heading west up Flax Hill Road from Washington Street, you immediately climb up Flax Hill (street view). Later there’s a slight dip before the road climbs again to Scribner Avenue. That’s Roton Hill. Just a bit later you'll descend off the hill before you get to Keeler Ave.

I live on Roton Hill. This web site is a place for me to record and share what I’ve learned about the places I walk my dog.