For about 40 years, The Landmark Trust of Bowling Green and Warren County has been hosting holiday tours of some of the city’s most interesting historic homes and buildings.

This year’s tour, “Merry on Main,” will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Dec. 1 and will feature six properties on State Street and Main Avenue.

They are The Presbyterian Church at 1003 State St., The Settle Building & Hinton-Bryant Residence at 906 State St., The Princess Building & Landmark Office at 432 East Main Ave., Eight16 House at 816 Chestnut St., Hines-Gabbard House at 921 Elm St., and Greer House at 621 East Main Ave.

Nick Rabold, Landmark president, fourth-generation Landmark patron and local historian, said the tour, believed to be the longest running holiday tour in Warren County, dates back to the 1980s when Romanza Johnson was Landmark president.

Founded in 1976, Landmark exists to advocate for the preservation, protection and maintenance of the architectural, archaeological, natural and cultural resources of Bowling Green and Warren County. It is also responsible for nearly every Warren County property listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Rabold said he hopes the public will continue to support the Landmark Trust as they have for the past 50 years.

“In a time of significant change for the nation, the one thing that can bring all people together is our shared history of historic places,” he said. “We can think of no better way than to share our history with others and with our friends and neighbors.”

The self-guided tour will include written histories at each site with Spiritmasters from Western Kentucky University assisting.

Rabold said the buildings on the tour are typically on a rotating schedule.

“It’s very rare that we will have the same site on the tour for a consecutive period,” he said. “As many years as we have been having this event, almost all of our buildings have been featured at some point on the tour.”

One of this year’s featured buildings, The Presbyterian Church, built between 1833-1837, is the oldest ecclesiastical building in Warren County and, according to Rabold, “probably among the top five historic buildings in the county.”

It also served as a hospital during the Civil War and is the home to the last Aeolian-Skinner organ in the country.

Another featured building on this year’s tour, The Princess Building, formerly home to the first modern movie theater in Kentucky, is now home to the Landmark office.

Rabold said the entire tour is walkable, but there are some steps that people will have to be aware of and not all locations are handicap-accessible.

He added that some of the buildings and homes may be decorated for Christmas, although it is not necessary as a part of the tour.

“We hope that some of the hosts will decorate for Christmas,” he said. “The holidays are a good time to celebrate our heritage and that doesn’t limit us to Christmas decorations.”

In addition to the tour, there will also be a book sale at the Landmark office at 423 East Main Ave.

Every dollar raised from the tour will be reinvested in Bowling Green and Warren County, ideally into securing new historic overlay districts for unprotected historic properties in the Shake Rag Historic District.

Tickets are $15 per adult and $10 for ages 15 and under and can be purchased at any site on the day of the tour. Cash, check or card will be accepted.

For more information, visit bglandmark.org or the Landmark Trust Facebook page.