Rainbow Row, Charleston, SC

Historic homes on East Bay Street are an iconic image of Charleston

by Jennifer Heisler | November 24, 2010

Rainbow Row is a block of East Bay Street with homes painted, as the name so aptly implies, all different colors. These buildings, now private residences, are the one longest continuous stretch of pre-revolutionary townhomes still standing in America.

The townhomes were built in the early 1700s and originally served as warehouses with residences above. Back then, these buildings actually overlooked the wharfs. Since that time the western side of E. Bay Street has been filled in, creating additional land in this bustling part of the city. You can see how the streets, named after the original wharves, head downhill to the water, a rare feat in the flatness of the Lowcountry.

Rainbow Row has survived to be reborn many times throughout Charleston’s history. In both 1740 and 1778 the area was decimated by two of Charleston’s five “Great Fires.” The buildings fell into disrepair and became the seedy part of town after the Civil War. It was only in the 1920s and 1930s, when the city began to focus on preservation, that the homes received a complete makeover. It was during this time that the houses were painted in bright pastel colors, reminiscent of the Caribbean and giving Rainbow Row its name.

To find Rainbow Row, visit East Bay Street south of Broad Street. Rainbow Row is on the west side of East Bay Street between Tradd and Elliott Streets, house numbers 79-107. Some of the best photos are taken early in the morning and late afternoon when there is less traffic. For a unique view, walk west on Elliott Street, then turn around and look east to see the back of Rainbow Row. It’s a view very few people realize exists.