View complete article and references at Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina at: https://docsouth.unc.edu/commland/monument/268

Description: The monument is a life-size rendering of Richard Joshua Reynolds astride a horse. Depicting a young Reynolds riding into Winston-Salem ready to seek his fortune, the rider faces forward looking to his right while he holds the reins in one hand and his hat in the other. The sculpture sits atop a low rectangular granite plinth mounted on a beveled granite base. A bronze plaque mounted on the front face of the plinth bears a commemorative inscription, and Reynolds' name and dates appear inscribed on the granite of the right face. The sculptor's signature appears on a plaque on the back of the base.

Images: Front plaque

Inscription:
Front, on plaque: RICHARD JOSHUA REYNOLDS / 1850-1918 / IN 1875, THIS YOUNG VIRGINIAN AGED 24 RODE / INTO WINSTON IN SEARCH OF A TOWN IN WHICH / TO BUILD HIS FIRST TOBACCO FACTORY. / THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF THE CITIZENS OF / WINSTON-SALEM AND FORSYTH COUNTY / THIS MEMORIAL HAS BEEN ERECTED TO HONOR / A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN AND PUBLIC BENEFACTOR.

Right, on granite: RICHARD JOSHUA REYNOLDS / 1850-1918

Dedication date: 6/25/1979

Creator: Joseph King, Designer Johnson Atelier, Foundry Earline Heath King, Sculptor

Materials & Techniques: Bronze, granite

Subject notes: Richard Joshua Reynolds, founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, was born in 1850 in Patrick County Virginia and died in 1918. Following his graduation from Emory and Henry College in Virginia and subsequent time working in his family's tobacco business, he moved to Winston-Salem to build his own business, taking advantage of the rail lines. He built his first factory in the city in 1874 and quickly built his wealth. He married a cousin, Katherine Smith, in 1905, and together the two increased their economic and social reach and became leading philanthropists within their community and North Carolina. Reynolds is also credited with progressive politics and a progressive approach to improving the working conditions in his factories and businesses.

Location: The monument is located on the eastern side of North Main Street on the southestern side of the intersection of North Main Street with 2nd Street East.

Landscape: The statue sits several feet from the sidewalk in a garden area surrounded by trees, shrubs, and seasonal plantings.

City: Winston-Salem

County: Forsyth

Subjects: Historic Philanthropic Figures,Industry