Oscar Hugo, shown in the photos beside it, made cut this glass lamp for his future wife, Princess. The piece has since seen many moves before being sent to where it began, Warsaw, by a relative of Oscar and Princess.

Not much has changed when it comes to the tools for cutting glass at Warsaw Glass Company since the days of Oscar Hugo, according to Randy Kirkendall, co-owner of Warsaw Cut Glass Company along with wife, Linda. Kirkendall demonstrates glass cutting on a pitcher.

A finely cut glass lamp that has roamed many miles — miraculously remaining in perfect condition — to states as far as Oklahoma, Arizona and Florida is now back in the city of its origin: Warsaw. The piece was cut by Oscar Hugo for his then-fiancée, Princess, who he would marry.

Hugo, originally from Chicago, came to the Warsaw area in 1911, and was the master cutter and factory manager of Warsaw Cut Glass Company, which he would go on to purchase from Johnson-Carlson Cut Glass Company in 1933. In fact, he and Princess lived on Main Street, and the lamp could be seen there from where it was displayed in a window.

“The Hugos had no children,” explained Randy Kirkendall, current owner of Warsaw Cut Glass Co., along with wife Linda. “They left it to a niece.”

The niece had approached the Kirkendalls three years ago about the lamp, but Randy and Linda stated at the time, they just did not have a place for it. However, after that niece passed away, her sons contacted them again, stating they did not have a place for the lamp.

“Mark Hugo contacted us and sent (the lamp) to us,” Randy said.

Linda noted Mark felt Warsaw was where the lamp belonged, stating, “It’s where it started. The Hugos loved Warsaw. Even when most factories closed after WWI, Oscar developed glass cutting techniques. He kept the factory open after the Great Depression.”

Both Oscar and Princess passed away in Warsaw, and according to the Kosciusko County Beacon website, they are buried in Oakwood Cemetery.

“It was shipped here on one of the coldest days,” Randy said. “I was afraid when we opened it; I thought it would be in several pieces.” Fortunately, that was not the case.

And now, similar to how Oscar and Princess had displayed it, the Kirkendalls have the lamp positioned in one of Warsaw Cut Glass’s windows. “We left it on, so people can see the light at night,” Randy said.

While it’s not certain the lamp will remain in that location, Linda and Randy say they want to have it in a safe place.

“It had to have taken at least a month to cut and polish,” Randy said of the lamp. “It’s not something he knocked off quickly.”

Randy noted the lamp features deep cuts, not really seen nowadays since it’s harder to procure such thick pieces of glass. In particular, the pinwheels that cut away to create a jewel at their center would have taken a lot of time.

The lamp joins several other glass pieces on display at the company, showcasing its long history, including pieces from when Jackson Dobbins, Oscar’s apprentice, owned the company prior to selling it to the Kirkendalls. All of the pieces, including the lamp, are viewable during regular business hours at Warsaw Cut Glass Co., 505 S. Detroit St., Warsaw.