In the past, the village bore the names Petersdorf and Petrovice, apparently according to the mayor Peter mentioned in 1391. The name Petrov was first documented in 1869, the nickname "an der Tess" in 1924, since 1955 bore the name Petrov nad Desnou. The settlement Teresienthal (today Terezín) was founded on the grounds of Petrovice in 1789 and is named after the Countess Terezie Žerotínová, née Schrattenbachová.
In 1354 the local magistrate gained privileges. From the 14th century Petersdorf belonged to the estate Velké Losiny, with its division belonged to the estate Vízmberk (then called Loučná). Since the introduction of the municipal establishment was Petersdorf independent village, in 1938-1945 the village was part of the village Rapotín, from 9 May 1945 to 31 January 1946 part of the village Sobotin, then Petrov nad Desnou again an independent village until 1980, when he was again with Terezin connected to Sobotin. In a referendum in 1995, the proposal for independence did not pass, and in September 2008 53% of voters voted in favor. On 1 January 2010, Petrov nad Desnou and Terezín separated again from the village of Sobotín, and on 8 and 9 January 2010, municipal elections took place here.
Until the Germans were displaced after World War II, Petrov was a German municipality with a Czech minority.
From 1519, St. Mary Magdalene Church stood in Petersdorf, but on 26 July 1904 it was burnt down due to lightning and was not restored but dismantled due to the proximity of the church in Rapotín.
The village was the scene of peasant uprisings. The local region is also famous for witch trials, which fell victim to the mayor of Petrovice Voršila Kolbová in 1686.
Between 1839 and 1931, the original iron-mill was replaced by an engineering plant, which belonged to the ironworks of the Klein brothers. Since 1932, the Velamos plant for the production of bicycles was operating in the Petrov territory.