American Red Cross and the Atlanta Humane Society. In 1944 May was named the first "Atlanta's Woman of the Year" for her charitable work. In 1958 the Abreus sold the house and retired to Sea Island, Georgia where they lived in a beach house named South Wind, also designed by Shutze. The Abreus sold the Atlanta house to Mary Phillips Rushton (1896–1984) founder of a toy company. Rushton made a few modifications to the house including kitchen changes and adding an elevator. Rushton also kept peacocks on the property, and so the house became known as the Peacock House. The birds sometimes annoyed the motorists passing on West Paces Ferry Road. When Rushton died in 1984, the property was sold to Jerry Cates, who subdivided and sold off part of the property, removing some parts of the wall and elements of the gardens. In April and May 1984 the house was opened to the public as the "Decorator's Show House" as a fundraiser for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. It has also hosted the 26th annual Preservation Gala for Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation in 2010. Later in 1984 the home was purchased by the Southern Center for International Studies for $1.5 million and it served as the group's headquarters from November of that year to 2009. Modifications to the property during this time included some fire escapes added to the second floor, and parking areas which eliminated further elements of the garden. During this period the property was also available as a wedding venue. The home was purchased in 2009 for $3.5 million by the Watson-Brown Foundation, which restored it. The home is operated as a historic house museum with a full-time curator, and is only available to visit by appointment. The same foundation also operates other house museums in Georgia including Hickory Hill in Thomson and the T. R. R. Cobb House in Athens. See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Fulton County, Georgia References Notes Sources (Includes 52 photos from March 2013) (Includes 6 photos from 1932) External links Goodrum House - Official site Watson-Brown Foundation web site National Register of Historic Places in Fulton County, Georgia Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Georgia (U.S. state) Historic house museums in Georgia (U.S. state)