West Maximus was built in Seattle, Washington in 1918-19 at the No. 2 Plant of the Skinner & Eddy Corporation-the 20th in a series of 24 Design 1013 cargo ships built by the company for the United States Shipping Board's emergency wartime shipbuilding program.
West Maximus is listed in mercantile records as having a deadweight tonnage of 8,595 tons (8,800 nominal) and a gross register tonnage of 5,561 (5,600 nominal) [REF].