Emerald was built as Emrose in 1906[3] by Pusey and Jones at Wilmington, Delaware for A. W. Rose of New York City.

She later became the property of Maxwell Wyeth of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was renamed Emerald.

The US Navy acquired Emerald from Wyeth on 23 July 1917 for World War I service as a patrol vessel and placed her in service that day as USS Emerald (SP-177).

Sources differ on whether she was commissioned[4] or served in non-commissioned status.

[5] For the rest of World War I, Emerald served in the 4th Naval District on harbor entrance patrol duty in Delaware Bay.