Jane Sabatelli

Jane Sabatelli, an active member of the Connecticut Civil War Round Table, has been involved in first person presentations of Women In History for over 6 years. She has portrayed such programs as The Many Moods of Mary Todd Lincoln, The Woman Educator of the 1860’s : Catharine Beecher, as well as The Inner Workings of Harriet Beecher Stowe which was created in 2002 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the publishing of the book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

She has done research on clothing styles and Victorian Mourning Customs of the 19th Century and was a period clothing guest at an author’s reception held at the New York University Library in Manhattan. She was featured in several Cedar Hill Cemetery Community Presentations held in Hartford during their 2003 lecture season. Her clothing demonstrations at the Litchfield Borough Days, held annually each September on the Litchfield Green, have become a popular attraction. Along with Becky Martin, director of the Litchfield Historical Society, she has appeared on the televised Cablevision program, Stepping Out, hosted by Susan Levine. Most recently, she appeared at the Stamford Historical Society during their Victorian Tea in presenting Layer by Layer: How Women Dressed in the 1860s.

Her universal appeal is evident from the wide variety of audiences that she has had the pleasure to appear before. These have ranged from elementary school groups, scouting groups, church social groups, historical societies, retirement groups as well as numerous civic organizations statewide.

Throughout the year, she can also be spotted at many Civil War Encampments that are held in New York State and Connecticut. Stepping back in time into the civilian role of a wife and mother during those Civil War years, are frequent summer weekend occurrences. Mrs. Sabatelli has been a featured performer in East Hartford’s Center Cemetery Lantern Tour for the last two years. Her moving, candle-lit portrayal of Mrs. Lucy Clark Flint and that famous East Hartford family’s saga has become a highlight during those evenings.

In real life, she resides in Torrington with her husband, Otto and college aged daughter, Nancy. Her spare time is spent in researching, recreating and restoring vintage clothing as well as breeding Monarch Butterflies for area schools during the summer and fall. When she isn’t “time traveling”, she enjoys reading and being a fifth grade teacher specializing in the Differentiated Instruction of Language Arts and Social Studies. While employed by the Torrington Public Schools for nearly 30 years, she has drawn upon her wide educational background in order to present such entertaining programs that have kept requests for her coming back, year after year.

Layer by Layer
Civil War Exhibit 2003