Seaport hotel marks passage of time

The Fulton Ferry Hotel, subject of Joseph Mitchell’s story, “Up in the Old Hotel,” remains only partially preserved as Mitchell’s centenary next Sunday draws attention to the relic. The South Street Seaport hotel is still a few years away from re-opening to the public, according to preservationist and official historian Jack Putnam, who is nervous about the site’s future. He said the only way to preserve it is “by not letting people up here,” but the hotel still needs another $1 million to complete its preservation. Years ago, the hotel was a six-story rest stop for the middle-class sea-farers before becoming a shabbier resting place for long-term travelers.