The window featured in an Otago Daily Times article on Wednesday, after it was rediscovered more than 30 years after being removed from Burt Hall at the former-King Edward Technical College.
The window features the crests of New Zealand and Britain and was donated by Dunedin plumbing company A. and T. Burt when the hall was built in 1918.
King Edward Court manager Roberta Coutts said she planned to restore the window to the hall.
However, Logan Park High School principal Jane Johnson contacted the ODT yesterday to claim ownership of the window.
"This property is very much in dispute. A. [and] T. Burt donated the window and bell to the school in 1918 and it's part of the school property," she said.
"When the building was decommissioned as a school, Logan Park became the new official site. Our board records show the school paid $450 in 1973 to have it removed and relocated to Logan Park.
"The board records make that clear. But, from 1973 to 1990, it's whereabouts were a mystery. The board tried to find it, but it was just a total mystery."
Former King Edward Technical College and Logan Park High School chairman Stan Duncan (82) said the ownership of the window was beyond dispute.
"It belongs to Logan Park High School. There's even a place allocated in the school library for it," he said.
"We've hunted high and low for that window for 30 years.
"The deputy principal at the time, Arnold King, was delegated to have it removed from King Edward Tech and get it to Logan Park.
"It was removed by the Tilbury Forwarding Co but, I think that instead of taking it to Logan Park, they took it to the polytech and it was just stashed away and forgotten.
"When we went to get it, it wasn't there. We thought there was some sort of conspiracy afoot," Mr Duncan said.
"But it was bequeathed to the King Edward Technical College and the school [Logan Park] must get it. There's lots of history in that window."
Mrs Coutts was defiant when informed of the controversy yesterday.
"We'll fight to keep it here. We can rightly claim it's more Burt Hall property than school property and we've got photos from 1918 to prove it," she said.
Southern Heritage Trust founder and trustee Ann Barsby said it was an unfortunate situation.
"Usually, you want to see artefacts back where they belong but, on this occasion, it looks like the ownership is pretty clear and it belongs in the new King Edward Tech, which is Logan Park High School."
