The Harkey House is a delightful spot for weddings and receptions. The house is a creamy yellow, classic
Italian Victorian, built in 1874 as the home of the Sheriff William Harkey of Sutter County. In the back
area, there is a wonderful brick patio with willow furniture, two umbrella tables, and a covered trellis
providing shade. A spa and pool add to the courtyard. The Country French Dining Room has a black and white
tile floor, fire place, fountain, oriental rug and high paned glass windows, providing light and privacy.
The Living Room has a marble fireplace, comfortable seating, original artwork, and a unique rosewood Chickering
piano that traveled around the Cape. Each guest room has a different theme and ambience and the entire house is
fresh and inviting. Note that this is a great spot to honeymoon as well. Successive visits will uncover new and
enchanting details that add to the inn's enchantment.
History of the Harkey House
William Pinckey Harkey was born on 6 February, 1832. Born in Illinois, Harkey became a pioneer and married
Clarinda Tennis on the trail in 1854. On 31 July of the same year he arrived in Marysville and settled here.
William Harkey became successful through running teams of pack mules, which enabled him to purchase almost
two thousand acres of land in the Yuba-Sutter area. In 1873 Harkey's influence had grown to the point where
Sutter County, a Democratic stronghold, elected him sheriff on a Republican ticket.
Sheriff Harkey kept his position for seventeen years; he also sat as the head of the Agricultural
Horticultural Society and increasingly became a respected pillar of the community. In 1874 The sheriff built
his own home right across from the courthouse, Harkey's 'special hotel' for lawbreakers. William Pinckey
Harkey died at age 74 in 1906, fourteen years before Clarinda Harkey.
After Clarinda Harkey's death in 1919 the house changed hands to a Latin teacher and her husband, who owned
the home for thirty years. Every year the Lazendorfs hosted a Roman banquet in the dining room for Latin
students at Yuba City High School. In 1955 Sid and Elsie Smith purchased the house, and in 1971 Jim and Lee
Limonoff became the owners. Lee is still the current owner with her husband Bob Jones.
In 1983 Bob and Lee Jones opened the Harkey House Bed and Breakfast which saw the the addition of a
pool, carport, enlarged patio, bathrooms and other remodeling. Bob and Lee have invested time and care into
the eclectic decor of the inn. Many of the antiques come from Lee's grandparents' Michigan farmhouse, and
the Chickering piano has traveled around the Cape.
Bob and Lee Jones have carefully preserved as much of the original house as possible, from the marble
fireplaces and parlor, the chandeliers, shutters, pedestal sink, screen door, to the blown glass windows.
Other aspects of the house have changed, which adds to its unique quality. The Country French Dining Room
was once a sun porch, for instance. The Tuscany Room was added along with several window conversions into
bookshelves in the late Fifties.
The Harkey House Bed and Breakfast has hosted travelers from Japan, Europe Scotland, Belgium, Burma, and
Zimbabwe. However, the majority of travelers staying in the Harkey House come from the San Francisco area.
This 1874 Victorian makes an ideal location for a honeymoon or romantic getaway.