Affixed to the front of the archway are a pair of bronze plaques, one containing a tintype of the archway when it was the entrance to the Administration Building, the other a historical marker with an explanation of the existence of the archway. Text from that plaque is below.
Essentially, the brick and stone archway is nearly an exact replica of the original entrance, but with a bronze cat atop, a tiger, the mascot of Lewis & Clark High School. In this school the tigers are a big deal, as Prep Sportswear even has an online
Tigers Apparel Store.
The origin of the tiger as the school mascot seem to be lost to history, or possibly it's a secret, known only to the elite inner sanctum.
ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
1908 - 1999
This archway is constructed of original brick and sandstone
from the pedimented entry of the former Administration
Building. Designed by architect Loren L. Rand in 1908,
the building, located next to the former South Central High
School, first housed the administrative offices of Spokane
School District No. 81.
After fire destroyed the high school in 1910, a new school,
also designed by architect Loren A. Rand, was built on the
same site, adjacent to the Administration Building. The new
school, named Lewis & Clark High School, opened in 1912.
The Administration Building was extensively remodeled in
1917 with Karl C. Malmgren serving as architect. The
building later served as an annex to the high school until
1999. It was replaced by the present 4-story, 12-classroom
addition as part of the renovation and expansion of Lewis
& Clark High School, completed in 2001.
Note the typo in the plaque - in the first instance, the architect's name is Loren L. Rand, in the second it has become Loren A. Rand. The correct name is Loren L. (Leighton) Rand.