Archie K. Davis (Jan. 22, 1911 – March 13, 1998) served as Chairman of Wachovia Bank and Trust Company (1956-1974), helped in the creation of North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, and was a two-term State Senator (1958-1962). At the close of his active business career, Davis served both as President of the American Bankers Association (1966) and of the United States Chamber of Commerce (1971-1972). In his retirement he returned to college to get a master’s degree in history, with a special passion for Civil War studies.
The Archie K. Davis Fellowships are offered yearly by the North Caroliniana Society to promote research and publication in North Carolina’s history and culture. The Archie K. Davis Award is awarded by the Wachovia Historical Society to honor an individual who has made significant contributions to regional and cultural history. Davis was a strong supporter and advocate for the Archives of the Southern Province and was a long-time Archives board member and chair. Today his name graces the building which houses both the Moravian Archives and our fellow professionals at the Moravian Music Foundation. Construction began on the building in the fall of 1999, and the facility was completed and occupied in July 2001. In September 2001, the building was dedicated as the Archie K. Davis Center. A quick, visual tour of our beautiful home follows.
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.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.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).Ample table space is provided for researchers in the Reading Room of the Davis Center.The Davis Center’s Reading Room opens into a breath-taking two-story area. Chandeliers and sconces add grace to the lovely room.The Research Library opens off the two-story Reading Room and has space for books, periodicals, and other research aids.The north terrace of the Davis Center looks out upon God’s Acre, the Moravian Graveyard, in Salem.The book vault of the Davis Center holds the rare volumes of both the Moravian Archives and the Moravian Music Foundation.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.
