EASTOVER — In its past lifetimes, the Goodwill Plantation was a vast farm worked by slaves, a winter home for circus animals and a family hunting retreat.
In its next life, the estate located just south of Columbia could become a state preserve.
The Conservation Fund closed a deal on the property for $13.8 million earlier this month, primarily using a state-funded grant. The nonprofit plans to donate the land back to the state Department of Natural Resources to expand the nearby Wateree River Heritage Preserve.
The 736 acres include more than a dozen historic buildings dating to 1857, which the owners restored over the years. Fish swim in a 35-acre lake, and birds nest in a large rookery. Deer and turkey roam through hardwood forests, and water drains into the nearby Wateree River…