The DeSoto County Courthouse is the anchor of Hernando square, designated as a Mississippi Landmark. It was built in 1942 after the previous French Castle courthouse burned in 1940. Learn the history of famed Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto, who explored this area in 1541 – 1542, through the restored paintings that depict Hernando DeSoto's voyage to discover the Mississippi River. The courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.