Rainbow Row, Georgian row houses in East Bay Street, Charleston, United States.
Rainbow Row consists of 13 connected Georgian houses along East Bay Street between Tradd Street and Elliott Street, each painted in distinct pastel colors. The buildings, constructed around 1740, feature ground-floor commercial spaces below residential quarters, creating a mixed-use streetscape typical of colonial waterfront development.
The row was built around 1740 as merchant residences near the Cooper River waterfront to serve the growing port trade. Beginning in 1931, owners initiated a repainting program with pastel colors, transforming the street's visual identity over decades.
The pastel colors emerged from individual owner choices rather than planned design, with each shade reflecting personal taste and adding character to the entire street. The painted facades have become a symbol of Charleston's ability to blend commerce and domestic life in tight urban quarters.
These are private residences, so viewing is limited to the exterior and photography from the street. Morning light and late afternoon hours provide the best conditions for taking photographs of the colorful facades.
Each house retains distinct architectural details from different periods, such as the Victorian storefront at number 105 and Chinese Chippendale ornamentation at number 85. Walking the row reveals a mix of building styles applied to structures with a shared colonial foundation.
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