During this time in Lynn he published several designs for improvements to country estates in periodicals such as the New England Farmer and The Horticulturist, which as an anonymous biographer wrote in 1898, "proved to be the foundation of his business career."

[2] Due to the success of the West Point Foundry in developing the village, Harney attained several house commissions in Cold Spring from prominent community figures.

For this work he provided designs for eight cottages and a church and solicited others from architects including Frederick Clarke Withers, Downing's former assistant, and Arthur Gilman.

[4][5][6] In 1873 he moved his home and practice to New York City and was soon after commissioned by Adele L. S. Stevens to design a store for Brooks Brothers at Broadway and Bond Street.

The anonymous author of his AIA obituary wrote that he was "an architect of the older school [and a] scholar and practitioner of the highest ideals.