PHOTO GALLERY: A complicated, but changing identity in South Carolina

August 16, 2012 | 6:00 a.m. CDT

Columbia, S.C., where the former Sen. Strom Thurmond is legend, still has traces of the old South. But attitudes and legacies are changing.

A statue of Strom Thurmond anchors the plaza outside the South Carolina State House. Thurmond served as a U.S. senator for South Carolina for more than 45 years. | Harry Plumer

A metal sculpture of a palmetto tree sits outside the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, S.C. The tree became South Carolina's state symbol after palmetto logs were used to successfully build a fort on Sullivan Island during the Revolutionary War. | Harry Plumer

A warehouse on Gervais Street in Columbia, S.C, sports ivy on its east face. The building is in "The Vista," a neighborhood of refurbished warehouses that have been turned into restaurants, bars and art galleries. | Harry Plumer

The Alpha Tau Omega house at the University of South Carolina stands in the campus' Greek Villiage in Columbia, S.C. The Village has been used as a model for other schools, including Virginia Tech and Georgia, according to residents. | Harry Plumer

J.D. Hammond, Kyle Smith and Cameron Farrell stand and chat on the rear patio of the Sigma Nu house on the University of South Carolina campus. The trio said that living in the Greek Village was the biggest benefit to being part of South Carolina's Greek system.
| Harry Plumer

Carolina Stadium in Columbia, S.C., which opened in 2009, is home to the 2010 and 2011 national champion Gamecocks baseball team. In 2011, the Gamecocks ranked fourth nationally in attendance, averaging 7,431 fans per game. | Harry Plumer

A trophy case behind the centerfield wall at Carolina Stadium holds the 2010 and 2011 baseball national championship trophies. The Gamecocks became the sixth school in NCAA history to win back-to-back titles. | Harry Plumer

An "STP" sandwich with "Formula 45 sauce" is the signature lunch at Groucho's Deli in Columbia, S.C. "STP," stands for "simple taste of paradise," and Groucho's has been making the sandwich since 1941. | Harry Plumer

Santee Avenue in the Five Points neighborhood of Columbia, S.C., also bears the name of '90s rock band Hootie and the Blowfish. The band's members met while attending the University of South Carolina. | Harry Plumer