Rotate what? The view? There’s a setting in User Preferences, Navigation, called “Orbit around selection”.
The “measurement box” exists in object mode. Open the side panel (N key), look for the Item tab, Transform. The same information can be found in Object Properties. In edit mode, the Transform box in side panel only shows median location or current selection.
Freeze? Well, you can disable object selectability. Or hide them. Or (in 2.79) put them on a layer and hide that. Or (in 2.8x) put them in a collection and disable it.