Hendrik Jacobus van Tulder, also known as Henri van Tulder or Henri Jacques van Tulder was born in Tilburg on the 1st of May 1819. In the 1840's he probably studied at the Royal School of Arts in Antwerpen, Belgium. From 1844 until 1846, either before or after his study, he worked in Brussel for architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar. In 1848 Van Tulder returned to Tilburg and started his own office. One of his first assignments was for the new town hall In his home town. Tilburg is also where in 1850 he built his first church and developed an entire neighbourhood in the center of the town.

Although his early works, including some of his first churches, were in neo-Classical style, Van Tulder is remembered as a pioneer of neo-Gothic. He made his first use of this style in 1853, when he enlarged the church in Gemert and added a tower. Three years later he built his first complete neo-Gothic church. While these are both closely related to early neo-Gothic, most of Van Tulder's churches are in a more rationalist neo-Gothic style, although elements such as plaster vaults and ornaments were often used. A point of criticism, both during and after his life, concerned his facades which rarely indicate what's behind them. He built a total of 26 churches. Among his employees were architects J. van Gils and J.H. van Abeelen.

In 1889, shortly after his best work, the St. Joseph church in Tilburg had been consecrated, Van Tulder moved to Laken near Brussel, Belgium. Only one further work by Van Tulder is known, a villa in Overboelare built in 1893. Van Tulder died in Schaarbeek on November the 25th 1903.

Building in neo-Classical style. Demolished in 1971.

Church in neo-Classical style. Projected tower not built. Church demolished in 1923.

Extension of the nave and addition of a richly ornamented neo-Gothic tower.

Building in neo-Classical style.

Church in neo-Classical style. Destroyed by fire in 1911.

Cruciform basilica in early neo-Gothic style. A medieval tower was incorporated and heightened.

Church in neo-Classical style, incorporating a 15th-century tower. Church demolished and replaced in 1889.

Three-aisled cruciform pseudo-basilica with front tower. Destroyed in 1944.

1857 Berkel-Enschot (NB): tower St. Willibrordus chapel

Tower added to an older chapel. in 1910 incorporated in Jan Stuyt's new church, but in altered form.

No further details. Demolished.

Van Tulder's first big church. Three-aisled cruciform basilica in neo-Gothic style with tall tower.

Neo-Gothic tower for a neo-Classical church built in 1822. Church replaced later.

Three-aisled church in early neo-Gothic style. Demolished in 1956.

1859 Diessen (NB): restoration church St. Willibrordus

Details unknown.

Aisleless neo-Gothic church. 15th-century tower was incorporated and heightened with a fourth segment.

Big three-aisled cruciform church in neo-Gothic style, with tower. Plaster vaults.

Three-aisled cruciform church in neo-Gothic style. The slim tower was added in 1897-1899.

Three-aisled pseudo-basilica in neo-Gothic style.

Large triple-aisled cruciform church in Neo-Gothic style. Tower added in 1925 by W. van Aalst, who slightly changed Van Tulder's design.

Three-aisled pseudo-basilica in neo-Gothic style.

Three-aisled basilica in neo-Gothic style.

1871-1889 Tilburg (NB): church St. Joseph

Three-aisled cruciform church in neo-Gothic style with two towers at the front. Often regarded Van Tulder's best church. The choir, transept and part of the nave were built in 1871-1873, while the rest of the nave and the front with the towers was built 1887-1889.

1874-1880 Eindhoven-Woensel (NB): church St. Petrus

Three-aisled cruciform basilican church in neo-Gothic style. The still uncompleted tower collapsed in 1875. New tower designed by L.J.P. Kooken built in 1912.

Three-aisled cruciform basilican church in neo-Gothic style, with richly ornamented tower. Destroyed in 1944.

Renewal in neo-Gothic style. Included the addition of towers and turrets.

Three-aisled cruciform church church in neo-Gothic style, with built-in tower. Demolished in 1954.

1878-1879 Elshout (NB): church St. Johannes Evangelist

Small three-aisled cruciform church in neo-Gothic style, with slim built-in tower. 

1879-1884 Hoog-Geldrop (NB): church HH. Maria en Brigida

Three-aisled cruciform basilica in neo-Gothic style with front tower.

1882-1883 Dommelen (NB): church St. Martinus

Small one-aisled church in neo-Gothic style. Enlarged by J. Stuyt in 1932.

1883-1884 Helmond-Stiphout (NB): church St. Trudo

Three-aisled cruciform basilican church in neo-Gothic style.

1884-1885 Eindhoven-Stratum (NB): church St. Joris

Three-aisled cruciform church in neo-Gothic style. Octagonal crossing. Van Tulder designed a tower that wasn't built. The current tower was designed by Van Tulder's former assistent J. van Gils and was built in 1910-1911.

No further details.

Originally a straight three-aisled basilica in neo-Gothic style. Transept added in 1919.