We’ve all strolled through Rainbow Row on East Bay Street to ooh and aah at the pastel-colored homes, snap a pic for the feed, and daydream about what it would be like to call this staple of Charleston history home sweet home.
But have you really considered what it would be like to live along Rainbow Row? Well, now you can.
Enter 103 East Bay St. — also known as the Joseph Dulles House.
Ringing in at $3,395,000, this breathtaking five-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom home just hit the market on Wednesday.
Constructed in 1787 and renovated in the 1930s, the home boasts 3,800 sqft — including a full basement and a separate guest dwelling unit — with modern renovations throughout. Hello natural light, high ceilings, second-floor drawing room, and kitchen banquette.
Now, you’re probably wondering: what’s the story behind the Joseph Dulles House?
103 East Bay St. was built in 1787 by Joseph Dulles, an ancestor of former Secretary of State under President Eisenhower John Foster Dulles + CIA founding director Allen Dulles. The home was constructed to serve as a family home and counting house and remained in the family until 1836 — 36 years after Dulles moved to another residence on Church Street.
In the 1930s, art historian Anna Wells Rutledge teamed up with architects Simons and Lapham to renovate the home, raising the roof to create the home’s off-center gable roof — aka, the slightly uneven slant that we see today — and place the front and garage door openings at the front elevation.
The history and charm of this historic Rainbow Row home speaks for itself. I mean, a structure that was constructed in the late-1700s and still stands in 2022 deserves some serious recognition.
We’ll be daydreaming about this one for a while, Charleston.