Rainbow Row

Rainbow Row consists of thirteen colorful houses on East Bay Street (Nos. 79 to 107) between Tradd Street and Elliott Street. Most date from the 18th century; only Nos. 95 to 101 survived the fire of 1778, and the newest house, on the corner, dates from around 1845. The row originally stood right on the Cooper River before the land was filled in, and served as merchants' buildings with a shop on the ground floor and living quarters above.

The colors date back to 1931, when Dorothy Haskell Porcher Legge began renovating her house and painted it pink, inspired by a colonial Caribbean color scheme. Other owners followed, and by 1945 most of the houses had been restored. You can walk the row in a few minutes; it tends to be quietest early in the day. Combine it with a stroll through the historic district.