Rainbow Row
Rainbow row i
Living in one of the Rainbow Row homes in Charleston, South Carolina means buying a piece of history. Rainbow Row which derives its name from the row of beautifully colored homes has a rich history that has its roots deeply embedded in some of the earlier records of Charleston. These vastly colored homes were not always as bright and vibrant. The homes were constructed in 1740 and were used as places of business for merchants on the bottom floor and homes for those respective merchants on the second floor. It was after the Civil War that brought upon the magnificent colors that we in Charleston and all those visiting have grown to love and recognize as a must-see when visiting the Holy City.
Rainbow row ii
In 1931, Dorothy Porcher Legge and her husband Judge Lionel Legge purchased the stretch of homes that ranged from 79 to 107 East Bay Street. The first home bought by the Legges (99-101 East Bay St.) was painted pastel pink. However, the Legges were not the original first owners of these homes; Susan Pringle Frost bought the six buildings in 1920 in hopes to restore them after the Civil War devastated these buildings. Frost formed what is now known as the Preservation Society of Charleston. Frost was, unfortunately, unable to finance the restoration process for what would be a landmark in Charleston; this is when the Legges came in and bought the stretch of homes. It wasn’t until just a few years later that restoration had begun with the Legges funding the process.
There is a lot of speculation floating around on why Rainbow Row has these homes painted in a wide variety of bright pastel colors such as making it easier for drunk sailors to find their way home or the colors representing what goods the respective merchants in each building sold. However, from further research, it seems to be a trend that was set when Dorothy Legge had her and Judge Legges home painted pastel pink. It’ll surprise you that there are some note-worthy residents who lived there initially.
The first to be mentioned is Othniel Beale. Beale’s house was named for Colonel Othniel Beale. Beale was a wealthy wharf owner who built four structures comprising of 95 to 101 East Bay Steet right across from his wharf. The Legges shared a roof, party wall, and other various decorative elements with the Beale home. The next home I’d like to shine the spotlight on is number 105. The Dutarque-Guida home was built after Lewis Dutraque acquired the tract. It was later bought by an Italian immigrant by the name of Giovanni Domenico Guida. Guida installed iron as his trade and had a Victorian storefront with his name displayed.
These are just a couple of examples of some of the amazing people who stayed in these homes. There are several other fascinating stories for each of these buildings. The local carriage tours around downtown Charleston are a great source of information about these homes and many other of the photos that we sell. Check out some of the links below to see what times and how much these carriage rides are.
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These photos are:
- Justin
Check out the following tour companies and book your tour to explore Rainbow Row and other notable spots in downtown Charleston: