|
In 1983, wanting to create larger space for the LGBTQ+ community to enjoy, particularly a dancing space, Larry Wilson bought the building at 714 N. 3rd Street and named it The Archives.
“So, I opened the—what I called The Archives in 1983. Which was a dance club on the weekends, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights…” – Larry Wilson Oral History Located right across the street from the William Penn State Museum and Archives, Wilson wanted to create a space that represented Harrisburg through pictures and décor that mirrored the State Archives: |
Archives napkins, circa 1980. Courtesy of LGBT-010, DCA.
|
“The Archives, we wanted to do it as kind of merely what was in our neighborhood… we put fake file cabinets in the walls that looked like, you know, an archive…We went to the State Archives, we told them what we wanted to do, they worked with us in getting pictures of Harrisburg …large photographs of Harrisburg going back to the 1800s…and that’s [the] theme [that] carried through the entire time that we were in business.” – Larry Wilson Oral History
Archives dinning room, circa 1985. Courtesy of the Historical Society of Dauphin County.
With both LGBTQ+ and straight clientele, Wilson went one step further and made The Archives a more inclusive LGBTQ+ space:
“And there were some other changes that I felt needed to be made within the gay community that were on my mind from the day I came out, and it bothered me. We were a gay bar community downtown of white males, period… So when I opened The Archives, I eliminated the rules about who could come in. You know, I let everybody in.” – Larry Wilson Oral History The Archives and Box Office Restaurant was the spot to go until Stallions opened next door in 1986, which eventually lead to the closure of The Archives and Box Office Restaurant in 1988. |
Wilson had larger ideas than just a LGBTQ+ dance club, he wanted The Archives to be a space that could offer opportunities for the straight community as well.
“…during the week I wanted this club to be more than just a gay dance club….I wanted a mainstream gay bar that straight people went to….So how do you get them in the door? Well. you offer it as a restaurant during the week.” – Larry Wilson Oral History This idea led Wilson into a partnership with Ed Meals, the owner of The Box Office Restaurant. Meals ran the restaurant side of the business while Wilson ran the club side. 
Archives Bar, circa 1985. Courtesy of the Historical Society of Dauphin County.
|
