The Northumberland Civic Club cleaned up and decorated the outside of the chapel for the 1974 Christmas season. The nation's bicentennial celebration awakened widespread interest in local history and preservation of historical sites and there was an attempt to have the borough assume ownership and care of the building but this failed. Finally in July 1976, John Romberger, a Maryland Unitarian who had been raised in Northumberland County, became interested in the chapel. He worked closely with the Northumberland County Historical Society and with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) in Boston to make immediate repairs to the building. A new roof was installed with new trusses, in the nick of time to prevent collapse.

The Historical Society sponsored a committee to establish a permanent organization for the preservation of the chapel. In 1979 the first meeting of the Priestley Chapel Associates (PCA) was held with John Romberger as president. The formation of the PCA, and the execution of an agreement between the PCA and the UUA (dated 12/1/1982) assured the future of the chapel once again. This organization of talented and hard working people have accomplished much in raising funds and restoring and preserving the chapel.

One of the first projects undertaken was the restoration of the antique organ which had not been used for over 50 years.  Jean Priestley was probably the last regular organist to use it, and by 1931 it was described as unplayable: some wood was rotten and pipes were missing.  The Priestley Chapel Associates, with the help of the Northumberland Civic Club, the Geyer Foundation, and other generous community members, had it restored by the McFarland Company of Millersville, a really major job.  The project was completed in 1982 and since then the organ has been kept in fine condition by the McFarland people.
 
The circumstances of buying, selling, dividing, and redividing over the years, left the chapel bounded on the east and south by an “L” shaped parcel of land then owned by Herbert and Mabel Diehl. The PCA acquired this property through two conveyances (11’ x 90’ and 30’ x 60’) in the early 1980’s thus enlarging the chapel grounds to 61 x 90 feet and providing space for the memorial garden which was later added.