Starlight Motor Inn

Built in 1961 as the Host of America Motel, the Starlight Inn was one of the first prefabricated motels built in the country. A steel frame was constructed on site and factory built prefabricated, fully fitted out rooms were inserted into the frame. In 1966, the motel added a two-story addition on Rivers Avenue, housing a lounge and restaurant. After 3 fires and multiple owners, the complex was slated for demolition by 2019, when the current owner purchased the property, had it listed on the National Register, and, using historic tax credits rehabilitated the buildings, retaining a remarkable amount of the original historic fabric. Today, the Starlight Motor Inn welcomes guests to its 51 rooms and stands as a notable accomplishment in preserving Charleston’s often overlooked mid-century architecture and as another example of North Charleston’s growing list of adaptive use projects.