Wilbraham committee schedules Feb. 4 site visit to former Thornton Burgess School as Hampden plans office move

The Wilbraham Building Utilization Committee set an on-site visit for Feb. 4, 2026, to inspect the former Thornton Burgess School as Hampden prepares to move its town offices into that building, the committee said at its Jan. 14 meeting.

Jeff Smith, chair of the Building Utilization Committee, said the visit will allow members to "see the transition" of the former school building into a municipal office space and noted that a Hampden town official is expected to attend and speak with the committee about the change. The committee listed the Feb. 4 date as a potential on-site meeting to review the facility and discuss any immediate implications.

Committee members framed the planned visit as a fact-finding step to assess how the building’s condition and layout would support municipal functions and to identify any needs that Wilbraham stakeholders should consider when discussing regional building reuse. The committee did not take formal action on property disposition at the Jan. 14 meeting; the site visit was described as a next step in planning and coordination.

The committee’s next steps include the on-site review on Feb. 4 and a follow-up discussion at a future Building Utilization Committee meeting after members and the Hampden official have inspected the property.