History
A House with a Global Story

Paul Harris founded Rotary in Chicago in 1905 after experiencing the isolation of city life. Five years later, he married Jean Thomson, a woman who had immigrated from Edinburgh, Scotland. In 1912, the couple purchased their Morgan Park home and named it Comely Bank after Jean’s childhood neighborhood in Edinburgh.

Over the next 35 years, the home became much more than a private residence. As Rotary expanded across continents, the Harris Home evolved into an unofficial center of international friendship. Rotary members, civic leaders, travelers, and guests from around the world gathered here, welcomed by Paul and Jean’s hospitality.

Friendship Without Borders

Throughout their travels across Europe, Asia, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America, Paul and Jean served as ambassadors of goodwill, cultivating friendships wherever they went. Abroad and at home, they demonstrated that friendship and understanding could transcend cultural, political, and geographic boundaries. One of their most enduring legacies was the planting of “Friendship Trees” around the world and in their own garden, living symbols of international understanding and peace.

A Legacy That Lives On

When Paul Harris passed away in 1947, tributes arrived from around the globe. Nurtured through friendships formed at home and abroad, his vision continues to inspire millions of Rotary members today. The Harris Home preserves not only a building, but also the enduring idea that ordinary acts of welcome, kindness, and fellowship can change the world.

Today, the Harris Home is evolving into a place where the lessons of the past inform opportunities for the future. Through exhibits, educational experiences, public programs, and conversations about peace and global citizenship, visitors will explore how the values practiced at the Harris Home remain relevant in a rapidly changing world.