The former Mills are Category B-listed and located within the Dumfries Conservation Area. Most of the buildings are derelict, and are included in the Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland.

The river-front building was designed by Dumfries architect Alan Burgess Crombie (1845-1904) and completed in 1886. Crombie’s architectural practice is part of the cultural legacy of Dumfries with his designs for villas, manses, schools and churches mostly still in use.

The Mills were designed and built for Charteries, Spence & Co. Ltd., manufacturers of Scottish tweeds and worsted fabrics, which were exported across the world. 

Rosefield Mills is of great significance to the community and the cultural heritage of Dumfries. The possibility of its re-use for community benefit has received spontaneous and widespread support from the public, both locally in Dumfries and more widely across the region, including international connections as the building housed Norwegian troops during WWII.