Porkeri has been inhabited at least as early as the 14th century.
The wooden church is from 1847 and contains things donated by seamen who survived lethal storms on the sea, maintaining the tradition of almissu (seamen in danger promised - according to Nordic tradition - to donate churches, the material or such to God if they got back home alive).
In 1984 a new school was built in the village. It is built in a modern Faroese style and has grass on the roof. The old school in Porkeri was built in 1888. It was used as such for 96 years. It is now owned by "Porkeris Bygdasavn" which is a museum. The village also has a church, Porkeri Church with a graveyard.
Tradition says that once in the old days a dispute of field boundaries between Porkeri and the neighbouring village Hov was sorted out by a walking-race between one man from each village.
