Carolinian was built as a commercial cargo ship in 1906 at West Hartlepool, England, by the Furness-Withy Company.

By the time the United States entered World War I in 1917, she was named SS Carolinian and was the property of the Garland Steamship Company of New York City.

The U.S. Navy acquired her for World War I service on 5 October 1918, assigned her the naval registry Identification Number (Id.

Carolinian operated in European waters, based at Cardiff, Wales, carrying coal from Cardiff and other English ports to France for use by U.S. Army transports coaling at French ports from her commissioning until 8 February 1919.

Carolinian was decommissioned on 22 March 1919 and transferred to the United States Shipping Board the same day for return to the Garland Steamship Company.