The phrase "chip off the old block" has a literally meaning with the Empire State Building in New York and the Reynolds Building, the former home of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, and now home to The Kimpton Cardinal Hotel in downtown Winston-Salem.
Fact or fiction: the Empire State Building was modeled after the Reynolds Building?
FACT! The architect firm Shreve and Lamb designed and built the Reynolds Building in 1929. Upon completion, the building won the National Architectural Association’s "Building of the Year Award," earning the duo the commission for The Empire State Building job. The Empire State Building opened it’s doors in 1931 in New York City — at that time, it was the tallest building in the world.
Famous folklore says, The Empire State Building sends the Reynolds Building a Father’s Day card every year. But that is fiction, sort of. There is a card. And is now owned by The Kimpton Cardinal Hotel, the newest "tenant" in the building. While it is not a Father’s Day card, it is actually an anniversary card from The Empire State Building to the R.J. Reynolds Building, referencing it as "Dad."
Still pretty cool if you ask us.
In 1979, The Empire State Building’s general manager sent the "card". It reads:
"HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, DAD. On the 50th anniversary of the Reynolds Building, we would like to offer our congratulations to the structure that served as the architectural model for New York’s famous skyscraper. The Empire State Building is one of the world’s wonders and we are appreciative of its roots in Winston-Salem, N.C. We hope that the Reynolds Building will continue to serve R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. well, just as the Empire State Building serves the people of New York City."
Robert L. Timber
Vice-President and General Manager
THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING
The Empire State Building is actually two buildings in one. The architects used the Reynolds Building as the topper, but the base is taken from the Carew Tower In Cincinnati.
Reynolds American offered the artwork to PMC/Kimpton, which bought the Reynolds Building and opened North Carolina’s first Kimpton property in downtown Winston-Salem in April 2016. The Kimpton Cardinal Hotel is Winston-Salem’s first boutique property and features 174 guest rooms and has the only rec space among all Kimpton’s properties.