diff --git a/libtiledbsoma/src/utils/arrow_adapter.cc b/libtiledbsoma/src/utils/arrow_adapter.cc
index 17bda5582f..6d459a5507 100644
--- a/libtiledbsoma/src/utils/arrow_adapter.cc
+++ b/libtiledbsoma/src/utils/arrow_adapter.cc
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@
  * This file defines the ArrowAdapter class.
  */
 
-#include "arrow_adapter.h"
 #include "../soma/column_buffer.h"
+#include "arrow_adapter.h"
 #include "logger.h"
 
 namespace tiledbsoma {
@@ -1309,4 +1309,215 @@ std::unique_ptr<ArrowArray> ArrowAdapter::make_arrow_array_parent(
     return arrow_array;
 }
 
+// struct ArrowSchema {
+//   const char* format;
+//   const char* name;
+//   const char* metadata;
+//   int64_t flags;
+//   int64_t n_children;
+//   struct ArrowSchema** children;
+//   struct ArrowSchema* dictionary;
+//
+//   void (*release)(struct ArrowSchema*);
+//   void* private_data;
+// };
+
+// struct ArrowArray {
+//   int64_t length;
+//   int64_t null_count;
+//   int64_t offset;
+//   int64_t n_buffers;
+//   int64_t n_children;
+//   const void** buffers;
+//   struct ArrowArray** children;
+//   struct ArrowArray* dictionary;
+//
+//   void (*release)(struct ArrowArray*);
+//   void* private_data;
+// };
+
+void ArrowAdapter::_check_shapes(
+    ArrowArray* arrow_array, ArrowSchema* arrow_schema) {
+    if (arrow_array->n_children != arrow_schema->n_children) {
+        throw std::runtime_error(
+            "ArrowAdapter::_check_shapes: internal coding error: data/schema "
+            "mismatch");
+    }
+    for (int64_t i = 0; i < arrow_array->n_children; i++) {
+        _check_shapes(arrow_array->children[i], arrow_schema->children[i]);
+    }
+}
+
+int64_t ArrowAdapter::_get_column_index_from_name(
+    ArrowArray* arrow_array,
+    ArrowSchema* arrow_schema,
+    std::string column_name) {
+    // Make sure the child-count is the same
+    _check_shapes(arrow_array, arrow_schema);
+
+    if (arrow_schema->n_children == 0) {
+        throw std::runtime_error(
+            "ArrowAdapter::_check_shapes: internal coding error: childless "
+            "table");
+    }
+
+    for (int64_t i = 0; i < arrow_schema->n_children; i++) {
+        if (strcmp(arrow_schema->children[i]->name, column_name.c_str()) == 0) {
+            return i;
+        }
+    }
+
+    throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format(
+        "ArrowAdapter::_check_shapes: column {} not found", column_name));
+}
+
+template <typename T>
+std::vector<T> ArrowAdapter::get_table_column_by_index(
+    ArrowArray* arrow_array, ArrowSchema* arrow_schema, int64_t column_index) {
+    // Make sure the child-count is the same
+    _check_shapes(arrow_array, arrow_schema);
+
+    if (std::is_same_v<T, std::string>) {
+        throw std::runtime_error(
+            "SOMAArray::_core_domain_slot: template-specialization "
+            "failure.");
+    }
+
+    ArrowArray* child = _get_and_check_column(arrow_array, column_index, 2);
+
+    // For our purposes -- reporting domains, etc. -- we don't use the Arrow
+    // validity buffers. If this class needs to be extended someday to support
+    // arrow-nulls, we can do that.
+    if (child->buffers[0] != nullptr) {
+        throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format(
+            "ArrowAdapter::get_table_column_by_index: column index {} is "
+            "has validity buffer unsupported here",
+            column_index));
+    }
+
+    const void* vdata = child->buffers[1];
+    if (vdata == nullptr) {
+        throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format(
+            "ArrowAdapter::get_table_column_by_index: column index {} is "
+            "has null data buffer",
+            column_index));
+    }
+
+    const T* data = (T*)vdata;
+    return std::vector(data, child->length);
+}
+
+std::vector<std::string> ArrowAdapter::get_table_string_column_by_index(
+    ArrowArray* arrow_array, ArrowSchema* arrow_schema, int64_t column_index) {
+    // Make sure the child-count is the same
+    _check_shapes(arrow_array, arrow_schema);
+
+    ArrowArray* child = _get_and_check_column(arrow_array, column_index, 3);
+
+    // For our purposes -- reporting domains, etc. -- we don't use the Arrow
+    // validity buffers. If this class needs to be extended someday to support
+    // arrow-nulls, we can do that.
+    if (child->buffers[0] != nullptr) {
+        throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format(
+            "ArrowAdapter::get_table_column_by_index: column index {} is "
+            "has validity buffer unsupported here",
+            column_index));
+    }
+
+    const char* data = (char*)child->buffers[2];
+
+    if (data == nullptr) {
+        throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format(
+            "ArrowAdapter::get_table_column_by_index: column index {} is "
+            "has null data buffer",
+            column_index));
+    }
+
+    if (strcmp(arrow_schema->children[column_index]->format, "U") != 0) {
+        throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format(
+            "ArrowAdapter::get_table_column_by_index: column index {} is "
+            "has format {}; expected \"U\"",
+            column_index,
+            arrow_schema->children[column_index]->format));
+    }
+    uint64_t* offsets = (uint64_t*)child->buffers[1];
+
+    int num_cells = (int)child->length;
+    std::vector<std::string> retval(num_cells);
+    for (int j = 0; j < num_cells; j++) {
+        std::string e(&data[offsets[j]], &data[offsets[j + 1]]);
+        retval.push_back(e);
+    }
+
+    return retval;
+}
+
+template <typename T>
+std::vector<T> ArrowAdapter::get_table_column_by_name(
+    ArrowArray* arrow_array,
+    ArrowSchema* arrow_schema,
+    std::string column_name) {
+    int64_t index = _get_column_index_from_name(
+        arrow_array, arrow_schema, column_name);
+    return get_table_column_by_index<T>(arrow_array, arrow_schema, index);
+}
+
+std::vector<std::string> ArrowAdapter::get_table_string_column_by_name(
+    ArrowArray* arrow_array,
+    ArrowSchema* arrow_schema,
+    std::string column_name) {
+    int64_t index = _get_column_index_from_name(
+        arrow_array, arrow_schema, column_name);
+    return get_table_string_column_by_index(arrow_array, arrow_schema, index);
+}
+
+ArrowArray* ArrowAdapter::_get_and_check_column(
+    ArrowArray* arrow_array, int64_t column_index, int64_t expected_n_buffers) {
+    if (column_index < 0 || column_index >= arrow_array->n_children) {
+        throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format(
+            "ArrowAdapter::_get_and_check_column: column index {} out of "
+            "bounds {}..{}",
+            column_index,
+            0,
+            arrow_array->n_children - 1));
+    }
+
+    ArrowArray* child = arrow_array->children[column_index];
+
+    if (child->n_children != 0) {
+        throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format(
+            "ArrowAdapter::_get_and_check_column: column index {} is "
+            "non-terminal",
+            column_index));
+    }
+
+    if (expected_n_buffers == 2) {
+        if (child->n_buffers != 2) {
+            throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format(
+                "ArrowAdapter::_get_and_check_column: column index {} "
+                "has buffer count {}; expected 2 for non-string data",
+                column_index,
+                child->n_buffers));
+        }
+
+    } else if (expected_n_buffers == 3) {
+        if (child->n_buffers != 3) {
+            throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format(
+                "ArrowAdapter::get_table_column_by_index: column index {} is "
+                "has buffer count {}; expected 3 for string data",
+                column_index,
+                child->n_buffers));
+        }
+
+    } else {
+        throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format(
+            "ArrowAdapter::_get_and_check_column: internal coding error: "
+            "expected_n_buffers {} is "
+            "neither 2 nor 3.",
+            expected_n_buffers));
+    }
+
+    return child;
+}
+
 }  // namespace tiledbsoma
diff --git a/libtiledbsoma/src/utils/arrow_adapter.h b/libtiledbsoma/src/utils/arrow_adapter.h
index 9e7f46e65d..cd4fd2b1bb 100644
--- a/libtiledbsoma/src/utils/arrow_adapter.h
+++ b/libtiledbsoma/src/utils/arrow_adapter.h
@@ -397,6 +397,28 @@ class ArrowAdapter {
     // XXX TODO: column-getters by index or by name, as std::vector<T>
     // as test access points
 
+    template <typename T>
+    static std::vector<T> get_table_column_by_index(
+        ArrowArray* arrow_array,
+        ArrowSchema* arrow_schema,
+        int64_t column_index);
+
+    static std::vector<std::string> get_table_string_column_by_index(
+        ArrowArray* arrow_array,
+        ArrowSchema* arrow_schema,
+        int64_t column_index);
+
+    template <typename T>
+    static std::vector<T> get_table_column_by_name(
+        ArrowArray* arrow_array,
+        ArrowSchema* arrow_schema,
+        std::string column_name);
+
+    static std::vector<std::string> get_table_string_column_by_name(
+        ArrowArray* arrow_array,
+        ArrowSchema* arrow_schema,
+        std::string column_name);
+
    private:
     static std::pair<const void*, std::size_t> _get_data_and_length(
         Enumeration& enmr, const void* dst);
@@ -459,6 +481,22 @@ class ArrowAdapter {
 
     static tiledb_layout_t _get_order(std::string order);
 
+    // Throws if the array and the schema don't have the same
+    // recursive child-counts.
+    static void _check_shapes(
+        ArrowArray* arrow_array, ArrowSchema* arrow_schema);
+
+    // Throws if the table doesn't have the column name.
+    static int64_t _get_column_index_from_name(
+        ArrowArray* arrow_array,
+        ArrowSchema* arrow_schema,
+        std::string column_name);
+
+    static ArrowArray* _get_and_check_column(
+        ArrowArray* arrow_array,
+        int64_t column_index,
+        int64_t expected_n_buffers);
+
 };  // class ArrowAdapter
 
 };  // namespace tiledbsoma