Why does Atticus save Miss Maudie's oak rocking chair?

The character of Atticus in "To Kill a Mockingbird" saved Miss Maudie's rocking chair because she treasured it so much. As quoted by About.com, the narrator said, "I saw Atticus carrying Miss Maudie's heavy oak rocking-chair, and thought it most sensible of him to save what she valued most."

When Miss Maudie's house caught on fire, the neighbors turned out to help. In his perceptive way, Atticus knew what to get. She was not a prissy woman who put on airs, but a practical woman who treasured the basic joys of life, such as gardening in her overalls and the song of a mockingbird. Atticus, always a wise student of humanity, knew the rocking chair had to be saved for that was what Miss Maudie loved.