Frederick Baker Furbish, the second son of Joseph and Caroline Greenleaf Baker Furbish, was born 21 January 1849 in Eliot, Maine.

Frederick did not complete high school, most children didn't in those days, but he learned the trade of carpentry from his father Joseph who was a farmer and house carpenter. Frederick's son Frederick Baker Furbish, Junior was also a carpenter, as was his brother Joseph Hall Furbish before he became a policeman for the City of Cambridge.

Frederick married Sarah Lucretia Grant on 29 September 1872, in Eliot, Maine. Sarah, the daughter of Sedley and Lucretia (Merchant) Grant was born in South Berwick, Maine on 13 February 1853.

They moved to Brighton, Massachusetts before 1873 where their first daughter Rena was born. We know that Frederick was living in Brighton, Massachusetts and was a carpenter from an entry in the Township of Brighton Massachusetts records.

By 1875 the family was living in Cambridge, Massachusetts where Frederick continued working as a carpenter. He and Sarah had four additional children while living in Cambridge, Cyrus, Mabel, Louis and Frederick Baker, Jr.

Mabel, their second daughter died shortly before her first birthday, and their first son, Cyrus died of the results of a bicycle accident shortly before his thirteenth birthday.

Frederick later worked as an architect and builder. Some of the works attributed to him include Harvard Stadium, the Agassiz Theater at Harvard, and the Masonic Temple in Porter Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Fred Furbish was a well-known builder in Cambridge and Medford; our records, which are incomplete, list about 25 buildings constructed and/or designed by him between 1886 and 1916. Most were residential buildings in the area north of Harvard Square; his largest known building is the Masonic Lodge at 1950 Massachusetts Avenue in North Cambridge, where he was also a member. The Church Street Garage was demolished about 1980.

Frederick later lived at 50 Park Street in Medford, Massachusetts, the house was a large one (19 rooms, three baths, and nine working fireplaces!) We had a big home, because grandfather planned that his children in growing up should have a good home atmosphere where they could bring and entertain their friends. He even had a bowling alley set up in the cellar, so that the boys and their friends could entertain at home. After Frederick had a stroke, he had an elevator and a handicapped bathroom installed as he was now confined to a wheelchair. The installation of the elevator was right in the middle of the bowling alley.

Frederick developed his interest in genealogy from his mother, Caroline who was a school teacher and published author. She  had published a history of the Baker family in the Maine Historical and Genealogy Recorder in 1889. Frederick assisted Everett S. Stackpole with the Furbish Genealogical Notes section of Old Kittery and Her Families and preserved a number of family papers which are referenced on these pages.

After Sarah died on 3 December 1897, Frederick went back to Maine and brought a stone back to Cambridge to mark his beloved wife's grave at the Cambridge Cemetery. His son's Cyrus and Louis, his daughter Mabel, his daughter-in-law Winnie and his granddaughter Cornelia are also buried there.

He died 19 June 1918 in Medford, Massachusetts.

It is interesting that his brothers Joseph Hall Furbish, and Howard Bartlett Furbish married sisters from the Grant family. Joseph married Emma M. Grant, and Howard married Minnie Clifford Grant, and subsequently  Mabel Cecelia Grant after Minnie's death.