The skyscraper that inspired the Empire State Building

The Reynolds Building was a 314-foot Art Deco skyscraper completed in 1929. It cost $2.7 million ($36.3 million in 2016 dollars) to build and succeeded the Nissen Building as the tallest building in North Carolina. The architects, Shreve & Lamb, were asked to create an effect of conservatism along with attractiveness but to avoid flashiness. They covered the walls and floors in gray-brown marble from Missouri, black marble from Belgium, and buff-colored marble from France, while the ceiling was festooned with gold leaves.

For much of its history, the building served as the headquarters for the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. Most offices were occupied by railroads, insurance companies, and attorneys related to the tobacco industry. The building even lacks a 13th floor due to superstition dating to its construction. It was so significant that it served as a design inspiration for the Empire State Building in New York. A legend exists that the Empire State Building staff send a Father's Day card to the Reynolds Building staff every year to acknowledge its role as a predecessor.

Following a sale in 2014, the building underwent approximately $60 million in renovations. The bottom six floors now house the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel, and the top 11 floors are The Residences @ the R.J. Reynolds Building. The ground floor features Katharine Brasserie & Bar, named for Katharine Smith Reynolds. The building remains a national historic landmark, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons