Species of lumber?

Maybe fir, but that’s just a guess.

It’s an interesting piece, though. I’d say it was probably custom made for a particular purpose, most likely records storage of some sort.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

Not sure on the wood…like Charlie said, possibly some type of pine. The smell could be the finish too, but probably just the environment it came from. Its a great piece though. I could use something like that for my credit card bills. :-)

-- Wayne - Plymouth MN

im leaning towards fir as well doesnt look like poplar which was my initial reaction before looking at pictures. That piece is gorgeous, one heck of a salvage if you ask this guy.

-- "there aren’t many hand tools as awe-inspiring as the #8 jointer. I mean, it just reeks of cast iron heft and hubris" - Smitty

What you have there is an “apothecary”, which used to be commonly used in drugstores for storing chemicals, spices, teas, tobaccos and all sorts of powdered concoctions. Indeed, the wood has probably absorbed the scents of what the drawers once contained. The species of lumber generally would reflect what was typically available in the area where it was made. Is there a label or stamp anywhere to give us a clue where this piece came from? This was truly a great find, and I’ve seen many of these in antique shops, sometimes priced in the $thousands.

-- Einstein: "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." I'm Poopiekat!!

Agree on the fir/pine, at least the grain you pictured looks like that.
As to the smell, although aromas can linger for quite some time, especially in raw wood, I suspect the smells are from something stored in them after they left the hardware store. It would be interesting to know if different drawers from different areas of the piece smelled differently. Also, can you identify any residue left in any drawer?
It might be an apothecary, as poopiekat said, however the size of the larger drawers and the divided lower shelf seem to indicate otherwise….IMO. At any rate, it’s a great find. congratulations!

-- Gene 'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

Thanks for all the great info guys. I am leaning now more to the apothecary. I did get some different smells from some of the drawers. One I could definitely tell was cinnamon. The hardware store may have kept spices, medicines, etc… in it. I can’t find any type of makers mark, so like mentioned probably made for specific store or purpose. My wife also noticed there used to be a plank that rain straight across the bottom.

Any chance the wood is Spanish Cedar? I went and smelled my humidor and it is almost an exact match! It is also really cool because each box is self contained inside where it slides in. There is some vent gaps at top, but otherwise each box has its own little box. Wow what work this would have taken!!! Added some more pictures. Shows inside and one of the boxes.

Thanks for the info! Got lucky to find this and decide to buy it before someone more knowledgeable about the value got to it first!

I’m going to put a vote in for old pine. I have some 200 yr old pine boards that have a very similar grain pattern and, from what I can tell, color (like your 3rd pic).

Without feeling how hard or heavy the wood is, we can only guess.

-- "Well, at least we can still use it as firewood... maybe." - Doss

Such a cool piece and I love how the drawer was made : )

-- When did quiet and quite become the same word ? I'm guessing about the same time as your and you're did.

It is redwood.

-- Wood-Mizer LT15