Riverside Beach & White's Paradise

Riverside Beach, developed by the Cooper River Bridge Company, opened in 1930 as the first black beach in the area. It was sold to the County in 1941. The site featured a dance pavilion, boardwalk, bath house, playground and ball fields. Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Ivory Joe Hunter, and B.B. King performed here. The County sold the beach to developers in 1975.

White’s Paradise located on Riverside Beach Road, now 5th Avenue, was the first black motel and nightclub East of the Cooper. The air conditioned motel and club, built by owner Henry White, operated from 1943 to 1975. Soul singer James Brown performed there before his hit “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag.” The buildings were demolished in 1993.

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