Rainbow Row Doorstop

Approximately 4 1/2" x 7 1/2"
Circa 1995

I'm tired of Scott taking all the doorstop loves...just kidding Scott! This piece was manufactured by John Wright. It represents a group of historic houses in Charleston, South Carolina called "Rainbow Row". There are a few condition issues from use, but I barely paid anything for it.

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW
A row of thirteen colorful historic houses in Charleston, South Carolina were named Rainbow Row after the pastel colors they were painted when they were restored.

Originally the houses were riverfront properties, but the land was eventually filled in. The area went through several phases. For awhile the houses were gutted merchant spaces, then in 1778 a fire destroyed most of the neighborhood. After the Civil War, the area was poor and considered the slums. In the 1920s the "Society for the Preservation of Old Dwellings" was formed and bought 6 of the houses. They did not have any money to restore them. In the 1930s another lady bought several of the houses and started to restore them. She painted the houses in pastel colors.

IT'S NOT TO BE COOL, IT'S TO BE COOL
"The coloring of the houses helped keep the houses cool inside.". There are several myths about the colors of houses, including one that says the colors helped drunk sailors remember where they were staying.