The Crossroads Women's Institute was organized by Miss Hazel Sterns in Mount Herbert, Prince Edward Island, on 23 June 1916. The Institute originally operated as the MacDonald Institute, named for Sir William J. MacDonald who built the MacDonald Consolidated School in Mount Herbert. In November 1942, the Institute divided into three separate branches, including Bunbury, Crossroads, and Southport. The Institute at Crossroads, however, continued to operate under the name of the MacDonald Institute until 1949.

The Institute focused its energy throughout the years on the local school as well as visiting the sick in the community. The Institute also supported the war effort, Halifax Explosion Relief Fund, Salvation Army, Red Cross, Cancer Society, Tuberculosis League, and rural beautification initiatives in the community.