Living...
In the heart of Tyndall next to the Bon
Homme Courthouse stands a Greek Revival
style home. Tall colonnades flank the front
entrance and support a porch that spans the
width of the home and a second story enclosed
front porch. Upon entering through the front
door a central foyer holds a grand hardwood
staircase that leads to the second floor.
Meet Richard Ptak, a bachelor and the third
generation of Ptaks who currently owns and
resides in the home.
As I sit down at the dining room table to
talk with Richard about the history of his
family home, I am in awe of the space around
me and the original furniture that lines every
square inch of space. The ceilings are over 15
feet high and original paintings and family
photos adorn the walls. This theme will carry
on throughout the rest of the home that I will
share later.
Richard’s grandparents, Thomas V. and
Karoline Ptak, had the home built in 1910. At
the time Thomas V. owned the Lumber Yard in
Tyndall and spared no expense to the building
of this majestic home. Richard says, “I don’t
know the man’s name but he was from Paha,
Czech Republic. He built a few other homes
in town as well. He would use three different
sponges to hand paint the walls in the dining
room, living room, and foyer. In the dining
room, which looks like a border of grapes and
vines was handpainted with small brushes.
After he was done, the man said, “I’m leaving
and going back to the Czech Republic. I don’t
want to build any more houses!” Richard
laughs as he recalls this story. “It had to be
quite the undertaking back then to build a 2
½ story home, with full basement and attic, he
would say.
His father, Thomas K. Ptak joined Richard’s
grandfather in the lumberyard business in
later years. He was married to Ouida Ptak and
had three sons. Andre who is now 82 years
old, Richard 77 years old, and Jim 75 years
old. Richard says, “I was supposed to be a girl.
My mom had a girl’s name already picked out.
When the doctor came out to tell my father, it’s
a boy; he jumped up and down, hooting and
a hollering.” He begins to laugh again sharing
12vHERVOICEvMARCH/APRIL 2018