From Big Blue Nation to the Bourbon Trail, Lexington has its share of traditions — but perhaps none as long-standing as the city’s deep connection to horse culture. For the past 25 years, another tradition for many Lexingtonians has been the purchase of heirloom-quality china, silver, and fine collectibles from L.V. Harkness, a family-owned boutique known for wedding registries, equestrian trophies and custom-engraving services.
Jennifer Jewett
Founded in 2000 by Meg Jewett, a fourth-generation steward of her family’s historic farm, Walnut Hall, L.V. Harkness is named after Jewett’s great-grandfather, Lamon Vanderberg Harkness. Harkness, who was one of the largest investors in Standard Oil, established Walnut Hall in 1892 and became a successful breeder of Standardbred horses. His family, however, remembers him as a collector of one-of-a-kind treasures from around the world. This passion for collecting has passed through the generations, with Meg’s daughter-in-law, Jennifer Jewett, taking over operations at L.V. Harkness, making some changes while honoring the store’s established traditions.
At the top of that list of adjustments is that she wants to make the store more “shoppable” for more people.
“Instead of just being a place to register for wedding gifts, I want you to be able to come in every week and find something small for yourself or your home,” Jennifer Jewett said. “A large part of that has been updating the inventory and the types of products we carry — for example, we added clothing items from Barbour, which is a fun brand to have. We have more personal and daily use items as well. And I used to be a chef and I love cooking, so I’ve expanded our selection of kitchen items.”
Even with a shift toward the more everyday, L.V. Harkness remains a place where couples can register for unique items or shoppers can purchase special gifts from brands that can’t be found anywhere else in Lexington. Jewelry, candles, toys, bedding, perfume, clothing and home décor exist alongside an extensive selection of fine china, crystal, silver and limited edition collectibles.
“We carry a number of brands that can’t be found in any other store locally — Meissen china, everyday tableware by Juliska, and Herend porcelain are just a few,” said Jewett.
She added, “Meg created such a great store with so many amazing brands, so we are revisiting those brands and updating our inventory based on their new product lines and colors. We are committed to honoring the strong relationships she built.”
L.V. Harkness continues to do a great deal of business in trophies and corporate gifts, engraving on both glass and silver.
“We do lots of horse racing trophies,” Jewett said. “We do trophy business all over the world, but also a lot locally. We also do a lot of corporate gifts. We do some beautiful work, and we do all engraving and personalization in house, so our turnaround time is very quick.”
As the store continues to celebrate its 25th anniversary, L.V. Harkness is planning to extend its annual holiday open house and sale in December to a full week this year (Dec. 9-13).
The downtown Lexington shop is known for its wedding registries, equestrian trophies, custom engraving, and gifts.
“We’ll have a lot of fun that week, with special vendors popping by, food and drinks, and other surprises,” Jewett said.
Jewett, who grew up in Los Angeles, acknowledges that moving to Lexington has been an adjustment for her family, which includes her husband, Harky, and their two sons. The family now resides at Walnut Hall, running the farm as well as L.V. Harkness.
Though life is now very different, the adjustment has ultimately been positive.
“There are so many things that we found here that we love and the scenery is gorgeous. There's no such thing as a season in L.A., so we’ve really enjoyed things like that. I also think my kids are a little bit happier here. It's a much different way of life,” she said.
Jewett continues to imagine new ways to keep inventory fresh and grow the customer base while not losing sight of the traditions of L.V. Harkness.
Updating the store’s website to allow for online ordering for the first time in its history was one of the first changes she made, and future plans include refurbishing the shop’s rooftop, which at one time contained a garden designed by famed Kentucky garden designer Jon Carloftis.
“I’m committed,” said Jewett with a laugh. “I want everyone to feel like there's something for them here.”