Antique desk-- id? age?

I'm looking for any information about this family piece. How old is it? Where was it made? What kind of wood is it made out of? Most of the things I have inherited have been Victorian or later, but this desk seems different. Any info greatly appreciated!

This nail came off the desk's back panel.

Thanks for your help!

 

Id guess 1840's ,but thats just a guess. Are there any stamps on the hardware?

 

No, nothing on the hardware that I can find.

 

That's really nice !

 

Thank you! I love it. It has a secret chamber but the trigger mechanism has broken and it’s beyond my skills to fix it. I’m trying to decide whether I should get it professionally restored.

 

Nice desk -- I hope somebody can identify the wood for you.

 

Think it is cherry with a dark stain to mimic mahogany. Think Johnny's guess is a bit early for it. More like 1860 or so to my eye. Any info on when and where the family acquired it?

 

My 82 year old aunt says it’s been in the family for generations and that they always called it General Herkimer’s desk. We don’t have any Herkimers in our family tree though. My family came from Illinois, North Carolina, and New York.

 

Those pulls, which do look original look very 1860ish. Nice fitted interior with the eight larger drawers. . . . I would imagine they have hand cut dovetails like the lower drawers - all evidence of hand craftsmanship. It's hard to tell the wood type on the secondary wood (drawer sides) because they've been stained - if it's southern yellow pine, this suggests American made. If oak is seen, likely English made.

 

I think early 19th century design, executed then or later on the century, as it looks to be a provincial piece (you see, the nail says earlier, the knobs say later). Rather plain and simple back then, but superb craftsmanship, and classic looks by todays' standards. Restaurafinish those scratches away, and wax it for best version of itself. Nice.