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The Archives

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.
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.
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.
Archives Bar, circa 1985. Courtesy of the Historical Society of Dauphin County.
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Harrisburg, PA 17110

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© COPYRIGHT 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • The Long Road
    • Beginning >
      • Early Experiences
    • Philadelphia >
      • Philadelphia Part 2
    • Harrisburg >
      • Harrisburg Experiences
    • Lancaster >
      • Lancaster Experiences
    • York >
      • York Experiences
    • Allentown
    • Montgomery >
      • Montgomery Experiences
      • Montgomery Part 2
    • Work Continues >
      • Current Challenges
    • Acknowledgments
  • With Open Hearts & Open Arms
    • Gay LIfe in Pre-Castro Cuba/Homophobia/What's In a Name? Part 1
    • What's in a Name? Part 1 Continued/UMAP/Mattachine Society
    • Leftist Gays in the US/The Mariel Boatlift
    • The Mariel Boatlift Part 2/Resettlement Camps
    • Resettlement Continued/Press Coverage
    • Immigration/What's In a Name? Part 2
    • LGBTQ+ Organizing
    • The Mariel Generation/Life in PA
    • The Eromin Center/Impact of AIDS
    • AIDS in Cuba/LGBTQ+ Rights in Cuba
    • Acknowledgements
  • Stories of Discrimination
    • Hate Crimes >
      • Anita Bryant
      • Escalating Violence
      • Appalachian Trail
      • Bookstore Bombings
    • Employment Discrimination >
      • Blacklisted
      • "Moral Turpitude"
      • Elected
      • Traumatized and penalized
      • Other Stories of Employment Discrimination
    • Transgender Discrimination >
      • High School Experiences
      • Other Stories of Transgender Discrimination
    • Housing and Property Discrimination >
      • Vision of Hope MCC
    • Conclusion
  • We Believe?
    • Early Expereriences
    • Coming Out
    • LGBTQ+ Groups >
      • Religious Life
      • Social Life
      • Political Life
    • Faith and Identity
    • LGBTQ+ Clergy
    • Responses: Backlash
    • Responses: Acceptance
    • Looking Forward
  • Duty, Honor, Pride
    • Vietnam War Era >
      • Investigations
    • Post-Vietnam Experiences
    • "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy >
      • Personal Experiences
      • Criticisms
      • Repeal
    • Closing >
      • Citations
  • History of LGBTQ+ Bars
    • Bars of the 1950s & 1960s
    • Bars of the 1970s
    • Bars of the 1980s
    • Bars of the 1990s & 2000s
    • Harrisburg, PA
    • Lancaster, PA
    • York, PA
    • Bar Spotlights >
      • 400 N. 2nd Street, Harrisburg: Pre-Raids
      • Johnny Kobler's
      • Harrisburg LGBTQ+ Friendly Bars of the 1960s
      • The Neptune Lounge
      • The Strawberry Inn
      • Harrisburg LGBTQ+ Bars of the 1970’s
      • Silhouette/D-Gem
      • Shadows
      • The Archives
      • Harrisburg LGBTQ+ Bars of the 1980’s
      • Harrisburg LGBTQ+ Bars of the 1990/2000’s
      • Village Tavern Night Club
      • Tally-Ho Tavern/ The Loft
      • Railroad House Bar
      • The Fiddler
      • Sundown Lounge
      • Altland’s Ranch
      • Town Tavern
      • 14 Karat Room
  • Gender Identity and Gender Expression
    • Terminology
    • Early Years: Impersonation
    • Entertaining for a Cause
    • Gender During Gay LIberation
    • Medical Classification
    • Rise of Publications and Organizations
    • The 1990s
    • Advocacy and Visibility
    • Expansion of Organizations and Activities >
      • Oral Histories and Photos
    • Where We Are Now
  • LGBTQ+ Art and Artists
    • Jude Sharp
    • Paul Foltz
    • Inspired
    • Aries and the Gay Era
  • The Pennsylvania Rural Gay Caucus
    • What is the Pennsylvania Rural Gay Caucus? >
      • PA Rural Gay Caucus Education Committee
    • Where were these groups located?
    • Gay Lobby Day
    • Important People
    • Pushback Against Opposition
    • What Happened to the Caucus?
  • Early LGBTQ+ Activism
    • Life Before Stonewall
    • Who's Who?
    • Richard Schlegel
    • Social Organizations
    • Effects of Stonewall on Central PA
    • Political Organizing
    • Rifts in the Movement
    • Read All About It!
  • Coming Out
    • Emily Newberry
    • Joanne Carrol
    • Amanda Hecker
    • Mara Kiesling
    • Maria Warren
    • Shaka Hudson
    • Lindsay Snowden
    • David Payne
    • Dr. Eric Selvy
    • Heidi Notario
    • Tammy de Sol
    • Cindy Lou Mitzel
    • LGBTQ+ Support Groups
  • Out on Campus
    • Acknowledgments
    • Bryn Mawr
    • HBCUs
    • Lafayette College
    • BCCC
    • Penn State
    • UPenn
    • Pitt
    • Lehigh University
    • Shippensburg University
    • HACC
  • Other Resources