Baltimore has a long history of religious tolerance stretching back to its founding in 1729, and even before. That acceptance allowed a number of different faiths to grow and flourish here, including Judaism, Presbyterian, Methodist, Unitarian, Episcopal, Lutheran and Roman Catholic. Several of Baltimore's first houses of worship are still standing today and tell the story of the significant role their congregations have played not only within their own faiths, but in the culture of the city and nation.