Justin Timberlake pays $4M for Williamson County land

• Pop star buys 126.63 acres on Old Highway 96 in Leiper%27s Fork from preservationist Aubrey Preston.

Count Justin Timberlake among the Nashville area's newest celebrity property owners.

The pop star paid $4 million for 126.63 acres on Old Highway 96 in Williamson County's Leiper's Fork community through an entity with his Los Angeles-based certified public accountant as the trustee.

Aubrey Preston, a Leiper's Fork philanthropist and preservationist, was the seller. The 126.63 acres is part of roughly 244 acres that Preston owns at that location.

Michael S. Dreyer of Los Angeles-based Dreyer Robbins & Associates purchased the property in his role as trustee of the Leiper's Fork Title Holding Trust. He's also listed as secretary, vice president and treasurer of Tennman Entertainment Inc., a corporation that named Timberlake as its president and Memphis as its principal place of business.

In December Timberlake's mother and stepfather, Paul and Lynn Harless, paid $2.83 million for a 10,000-square-foot home that sits on more than 10 acres in Brentwood. Earlier in late 2013, Timberlake told The Tennessean that he has friends in the Williamson County area where he was spotted, and that he spends more time in Nashville than people realize.

"I admire this town a lot. They take care of their own," the Memphis native said. "There's not a lot of places in the world, much less America, that do that. It's just a great place."

Dreyer declined comment on Timberlake's plans for the Leiper's Fork property that's near The Natchez Trace Parkway. Sonia Muckle, a spokeswoman for Timberlake, also declined to comment.

The land is subject to a conservation agreement through The Land Trust for Tennessee, which generally limits development. "This was our first land conservation project," said Liz McLaurin, director of external affairs for the nonprofit land conservation organization. "We have now completed nearly 300."

Last year, Preston made headlines for leading efforts that saved the historic Studio A building on Music Row from demolition.

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman, Mike Fisher and Carrie Underwood, Michael McDonald and Trisha Yearwood are among other celebrity owners of properties across Williamson County.

Reach Getahn Ward at 615-726-5968 and on Twitter @getahn.