Iconic New Jersey power plant cooling tower goes down

Iconic New Jersey power plant cooling tower goes down
Demolition of Beesley's Point cooling tower.

CAPE MAY COUNTY, NJ – If you ever drove down the Garden State Parkway on your way to Wildwood or Cape May, you have no doubt seen the 208 foot tall cooling tower at Beesley’s Point. Once part of the former B.L. England Power Plant, the tower was used by many as a landmark for almost being at their Cape May shore destination.

Now, it’s gone. On Thursday, the tower was demolished after months of preparation. The power plant first opened in 1961, and in 1974, the cooling tower was added to cool water before it was returned to Great Egg Harbor Bay.

The former plant sits just south of the Route 52 causeway to Ocean City. The plant was decommissioned in 2019.