After the war some special services were held in some years but none on a regular basis. By 1951 the chapel needed repainting again and, again, the interest from the Priestley and Taggart bequests was used. During the 1950's there were sporadic services such as pilgrimages by the Harrisburg and State College congregations in 1952 and after. There was a serious attempt made at that time to form a new congregation but the response was insufficient.

Mr. C. Warren Gutelius, a local publisher and historian, had been caretaker of the chapel for almost 25 years and had written several historical articles about it. In 1954, the Northumberland County Historical Society asked him to speak at their meeting to be held in the chapel. Unfortunately, after he finished his talk and sat down, he died of a heart attack. He was buried from the chapel to which he had given much of his life. He, also, provided a bequest in his will for the building’s preservation.

In the early 1960's, the Joseph Priestley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship was formed by families from the environs of the village of Penns Creek.  The Fellowship held several of their meetings in the chapel and met there for other special occasions. When the denomination published new hymnals, the fellowship secured for the chapel forty copies of the old edition from the UU church of Berks County. Otherwise there was little use made of the building and even less maintenance for almost twenty years. It slowly deteriorated with the passage of time and the grounds were neglected and overgrown.

In 1964, Miss Mary Taggart died at the age of 91. She was the last member of her immediate family and the last member of the 1890 Unitarian Congregation of Northumberland. She also made provision in her will for funds to preserve the chapel.