The Lighthouse began in January 2003 with one Friday night meeting led by Pete Aldrich, a convicted drug dealing and user in a small moving and storage building. It is located in the west side of Washington, Indiana. The meetings there grew and expanded to include Monday night meetings led by the daytime Director, Ronnie Lents. After both meetings out grew the moving and storage building, a search for a larger location began. Eventually, a location was found, a closed down store on 311 E. Main Street. The store also had an upstairs that could accommodate living space. The upstairs was remodeled into living quarters in which it was able to house about 12-14 men.

​

Meetings were added to just about every night of the week, Monday through Saturday, to accommodate anyone who may have needed to attend an AA/NA meeting.

 

With a place for people to come and meet and a place where men could come to recover, there was the growing need for place where women could also go to recover. Again, the search was on for another center to be born. Through the grace of God, the founders of the Lighthouse were able to obtain the old county farm located outside the city limits on the edge of town. The county farm is a four-story building with several outside buildings including a barn and laundry facilities. The decision was made to move the men’s facility to “the farm” and open the Main Street facility to the women in need.

​