In early 1928, O. C. Lam, owner of Lam Amusement Company, laid plans to construct a new movie theater in Rome, Georgia, modeled after New York’s Roxy. It was the first venue in the South designed and built as a “talkie” for sound films.

When the DeSoto opened in August 1929, it was one of the seven largest movie venues in Georgia.

It was an instant success and the pride of Rome. The Historic DeSoto Theatre Foundation maintains and preserves this legacy for future generations.