South Carolina Department of Archives and History
National Register Properties in South Carolina

Rainbow Court Hotel, Horry County (405 Flagg St., Myrtle Beach)
S1081772602301 S1081772602302 S1081772602303 S1081772602304 S1081772602305
Facade
Orginal Building
Facade
Building "A"
Facade
Buildings "B" and "C"
Facade
Building "D"
Facade
Building "E"

The Rainbow Court is significant for its association with Myrtle Beach’s period of growth and prosperity as a coastal community resort from 1926 to 1954 and as an excellent representative example of the motels/hotels commonly built in Myrtle Beach in the mid-twentieth century. The Rainbow Court is one of the few remaining examples of the small-scale, low-rise motels that pre-dates Hurricane Hazel (1954). The complex of buildings, ranging in dates of construction from 1935 to 1959, consists of two motel-type buildings, five beach cottages/boarding houses, and a small house. The buildings are situated around an open court with a swimming pool. There are six contributing buildings. The non-contributing properties include the house and building that face onto 5th Avenue, the office building facing Flagg Street, and the pool. Rainbow Court has been owned by the same family since it was first opened in 1940 by Harvey C. Jones and Lila Mae Bognall who moved two boarding houses from the beach to start their enterprise. Over the next twenty years they built or moved the additional buildings to the complex, with the exception of the small house facing 5th Avenue North, which was not added until 1970. Listed in the National Register November 7, 1996.

View the complete text of the nomination form for this National Register property. In addition, the Historic Resources of Myrtle Beach, ca. 1880-1954 includes historical background information for this and other related National Register properties.

Most National Register properties are privately owned and are not open to the public. The privacy of owners should be respected. Not all properties retain the same integrity as when originally documented and listed in the National Register due to changes and modifications over time.

Images and texts on these pages are intended for research or educational use. Please read our statement on use and reproduction for further information on how to obtain a photocopy or how to cite an item.


Images provided by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.