This summer, Maine Maritime Museum is hosting historic trolley tours that tell the stories of prominent families in Bath’s history through the observation of architectural designs of local homes and other commercial buildings in the city’s downtown area.

The hour-long tour delves into Bath’s rich maritime history and Bath Iron Works by analyzing various historical structures — mostly the residential homes of these shipbuilding leaders and their families, which helps to personalize their stories and how they shaped the city to what it is today.

Some important families include the Patten family, the Sewalls, the Moses family and the Hyde family, all of whom generationally influenced the shipbuilding industry throughout the 1700s and 1800s. The Moses and Hyde family are especially significant to Bath’s history, as both owned companies that preceded BIW.

Most of these historic buildings date from the mid- 19th to early-20th century and are located at familiar areas in Bath, such as Washington Street, Front Street, North and High Street.

The structures also feature a variety of architectural designs, including1800- style federal houses, Greek revival houses, Italianate architecture and Queen Anne buildings.

Through the tour, participants will also learn about how the the buildings are being preserved and used today by local community members.

For Judi Mansfield, a trolley tour guide and longtime volunteer at Maine Maritime Museum, she pursues her passion for architecture by building models and conducting tours like these, which she has been doing in the Bath area for about 25 years.

Mansfield also helped develop the trolley tour program at Maine Maritime Museum, which is currently in its second year.

“I was completely excited to learn a lot because I knew the architecture and the families, but I think it’s nice to connect it to the houses,” she said.

Tours will run every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at noon through Oct. 10. Pricing is $20 for members and $27 for nonmembers, which includes a two-day museum admission. Interested parties are encouraged to register ahead of time to reserve space.

To find out more, visit mainemaritimemuseum.org /events/historic-bath-trolley tour.

dkim@timesrecord.com

Tour times

TOURS WILL RUN every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at noon through Oct. 10. Pricing is $20 for members and $27 for nonmembers, which includes a two-day museum admission. Interested parties are encouraged to register ahead of time to reserve space.