The house and the canal were transferred to the state of New Jersey. In 1971 the Blackwells Mills Canal House Association was formed, and they leased the house from the state and began to restore it as a community center, museum, and library.
A transfer took place involving the house and the waterway, which were handed over to the state of New Jersey. In 1971, the Blackwells Mills Canal House Association was created, and they rented the house from the state before embarking on a restoration project to turn it into a community hub, museum, and library.