Archie K. Davis Center

Moravian Archives

Davis Center

Beneath the cupola — our crowning glory — and the round second-story window is the arched main entrance of the Archie K. Davis Center. This south side of the Davis Center is behind Cedarhyrst, the stone “castle” at the top of Church Street in Salem.

Davis Center

On entering the Davis Center we are in a long gallery, which leads to stairways at each end and the beautiful two-story Reading Room in the center (right). The gallery provides room for displaying a number of maps, documents, and artworks in our collections.

Reception

Visitors to the Archie K. Davis Center will be able to check in at the reception desk, which is centrally located between the front entrance and gallery (background) and the two-story Reading Room (foreground).

Reading Room

Ample table space is provided for researchers in the Reading Room of the Davis Center.

Chandeliers

The Davis Center’s Reading Room opens into a breath-taking two-story area. Chandeliers and sconces add grace to the lovely room.

Library

The Research Library opens off the two-story Reading Room and has space for books, periodicals, and other research aids.

Terrace

The north terrace of the Davis Center looks out upon God’s Acre, the Moravian Graveyard, in Salem.

Vault 1

The book vault of the Davis Center holds the rare volumes of both the Moravian Archives and the Moravian Music Foundation.

Vault 2

The heart of the Archie K. Davis Center is the manuscript vault. Here some 8,000 acid-free boxes hold the records of the Moravian Church, Southern Province, some of which date back to before the American Revolution. All is climate-controlled to assure maximum preservation of documents.