Machigonne, a 140-foot steam yacht, was built at Morris Heights, New York, in 1909 for civilian use. The Navy acquired her in May 1917 for World War I service and commissioned her the following July as USS Machigonne (SP-507). In 1918, her name was changed to SP-507. With the wartime emergency at an end, Machigonne was sold back to her former owner in June 1919.